Voters in Nova Scotia pick municipal leaders

The polls have closed on another voting day inNova Scotia.

Nova Scotians chosetheir mayors, councillors and school board representatives on Saturday, only days after picking their members of Parliament.

Election results are expected to start coming inafter 7 p.m. AT.

Many voters opted to cast a ballot in an advance poll on Tuesday during the federal election.

Vi Carmichael, provincial returning officer, said many municipalities around Nova Scotia reported a higher than normal turnout double or triple the number in some cases.

"Most voters were out voting for the federal and probably decided they would vote municipally at the same time," she said.

In the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, there are reports that some voters marked too many Xs on their ballots for school board members in advance polls.

Returning officer Bernie White said the error seems to be the result of some voters' long memories.

In the 2004 election, voters in one district could vote for three candidates. But this time around there are no ballots that require any more than two marks, he said.

"It's really unfortunate that people remembered that from another time because the boundaries have changed. We've done advertising, we've marked it on the ballots. And we will, just as another quality assurance, ask our [election staff] to help as best they can if somebody asks them questions about how to mark the ballot."

White said all ballots with more than two marks will be considered spoiled. However, the loss of a school board ballot won't affect the ballot for councillor or mayor.

Provincewide municipal and school board elections are held every four years.

Carmichael said there are slightly more than800 people running for council or mayoralty positions and about 170 people running for school board positions in the 55 municipalities.

Municipal elections tend to draw a lower turnout.

In the last municipal election in Halifax, about 47 per cent of eligible voters came out. But that year also coincided with a provincewide plebiscite on the controversial issue of Sunday shopping. Voter turnout was only 36 per cent in the election before that.

This time, municipal election officials in Halifax brought in an online and phone voting system for an advance poll. They hoped it would help them reach a total voter turnout of 50 per cent.