Nova Scotia voters are set to choose their next provincial government Tuesday.
They will elect 51 people to represent them in the provincial legislature in Halifax.
As you prepare to go to the polls Tuesday, there’s plenty you should know.
So Global News has rounded up info from Elections NS to help guide you on when and where to cast your vote.
READ MORE: Complete Nova Scotia election coverage
How/when do I vote?
Nova Scotia voters go to the polls on Election Day, which happens May 30.
Polling stations will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. AT.
According to Elections Nova Scotia two locations have had their hours extended due to delayed openings.
- Truro-Bible Hill:
The First United Church location is being extended by 30 minutes. Polls will close at that location at 8:30pm. - Halifax Chebucto:
Ummah Mosque 2510 St. Matthias Street poll is being extended by 15 minutes. Polls will close at that location at 8:15pm.
You can enter your address in this map to find out where to go to choose your MLA.
Keeners, however, have already taken to the polls at advance voting stations which were open last week. More than 112,900 have voted so far.
Can I vote from home?
Yes, you can. If you are unable to get to your polling station, you can order an election application either by phone at 1-800-565-1504 or click here to download an application. Once your application has been approved, you will be given a write-in ballot, but your application must be received at your returning office by 3 p.m. on Election Day. Completed write-in ballots must then be received at Elections Nova Scotia or your returning office by 8 p.m. the same day.
If you need help applying for a write-in ballot, you have two options. You can have a neighbour, family member, caregiver or friend act as your agent by picking up an application, bringing it back to you to sign, handing in the form and bringing back the ballot kit for you to fill out. Your agent will then take it back to cast your vote. Alternatively, you can also book an appointment with your local returning office for a write-in ballot team to visit your home and assist you.
If you’re not sure you’ll be able to hand your package in on time, call Elections NS at 1-800-565-1504.
What’s my riding?
If you’re not sure which riding you’re voting in, you can use the Elections NS Electoral District Information page, which divides a provincial map into its ridings.
You can enter your address into the search box at the top right-hand corner of the page.
Registered voters should have also received their Voter Information Cards that tells them the locations of nearby polling stations.
Who can vote?
To vote in Nova Scotia’s provincial election, you need to meet three requirements:
- Be 18 years or older on or before election day
- Be a Canadian citizen
- Have lived in Nova Scotia for six months or more before the day the election is called — since Oct. 30, 2016 or earlier.
What ID do I need?
You have a few options for identifying yourself at a voting station.
The first is to present any of the following ID:
- A Nova Scotia driver’s licence
- A Nova Scotia identification card
- A Certificate of Indian Status card
The second is to present any two pieces of ID or documents that display your name and current civic address, like the following:
- A voter information card
- A letter of confirmation
- A university/college/school student card, admissions letter or statement of tuition fees
- A health card
- A birth certificate
- Personalized cheque printed by bank
- Credit card
- Library card
- Social insurance card
- Canadian passport
Should you not have any of this identification, Elections Nova Scotia says you can still vote if you swear an oath saying you are who you are and you live where you say where you live.
Do I have to show my face to vote?
No, but you do have to provide proof of your identity and an address.
What if I have two pieces of ID that show different genders?
That’s OK. If you are already on the list of electors you’re not required to identify in any way, shape or form. If you’re a new elector, the Elections Act requires that something be checked on the form and check either “M” or “F” or “both”. Elections N.S. says it is legislation that has to have an indication, something has to be checked.
What do I do if I have a disability?
If you need assistance marking a ballot, you can bring a friend to help you.
The person can go behind the privacy screen with you and can be a child, grandchild, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, spouse or caregiver or a friend.
To cast your ballot, first you and your friend or relative will be asked to make a declaration before voting.
A deputy returning officer can also be asked to help you vote if you would prefer. In that case, if there is an agent representing a candidate present, they are entitled to accompany both you and the officer to observe the assistance given.
For visually impaired voters, you can ask an election officer for the special template available to help you mark your ballot.
Those who are deaf and hard of hearing, you can bring a translator if you can communicate using sign language.
READ MORE: Nova Scotia election: Full ridings list
Do I need to register to vote?
Yes, but you do not need to be registered before heading to your designated polling location. You can have your name added to the list of electors when you arrive at your polling station, where you need to bring appropriate ID.
Can I take time off work to vote?
Yes. You’re entitled to three consecutive hours to vote, anytime within voting hours, which run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. AT.
This does not mean, however, that you can take three hours off to miss almost half your eight-hour work day.
For example, if your shift doesn’t start until 11 a.m., this would give you three hours from when polls open at 8 a.m. to go and vote. Or if you finish work at 4 p.m., you don’t receive any time off if this is the case.
The three-hour rule also doesn’t apply to some workers. People involved in the operation and dispatch of trains, buses, motor transports, ships or aircraft are unable to have three consecutive hours if it interferes with scheduled operation.
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