A Nova Scotia byelection to choose a new member of the legislature for the riding of Preston will be held on Aug. 8, Premier Tim Houston announced today.
The Halifax-area riding has been vacant since April 1 with the resignation of Liberal member Angela Simmonds, who had announced in late January that she would be departing.
Simmonds, elected in the August 2021 provincial election, was the first Black woman to be named deputy Speaker in Nova Scotia and also mounted an unsuccessful run for the party leadership last year, losing to current leader Zach Churchill.
In 2021, Simmonds captured 43 per cent of the vote, with the Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats splitting the remaining votes.
Elections Nova Scotia has said the byelection will be the first election in Canada conducted in part using electronic ballots instead of paper ballots.
Aside from the vacancy, the Conservatives currently hold 31 seats in the provincial legislature, followed by the Liberals with 16 seats, the New Democrats with six and one Independent.
The Conservative candidate in the byelection is Twila Grosse, Carlo Simmons is running for the Liberals and the New Democrats are fielding Colter Simmonds.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 7, 2023.