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Running for Office in Nova Scotia

Getting Started

Eligibility

A person is eligible to be a candidate if they are:

• A Canadian citizen or other British subject
• At least 18 years of age
• Are not disqualified or ineligible under the law to be a candidate in an election or a member of the House of Assembly

Ineligibility

A person is ineligible to be a candidate if they are:

• A Senator
• An MP
• Holders of certain government contracts
• Individuals rendered ineligible by the courts
• Serving long-term sentences

Nomination

To become a candidate, a person must:

• Be nominated by five or more qualified and registered electors from the district
• Submit their nomination paper by 2:00 PM on nomination day (the Tuesday, 14 days prior to polling)
• Submit verification from their party leader confirming that the person is the party’s official candidate for that district (does not apply for independent candidates)

A candidate may withdraw their candidacy before 1:00 PM on nomination day. A candidate who wishes to withdraw may appear in person, or through their official agent acting for them, before the returning officer to file a written declaration signed by either the candidate or the agent. By withdrawing their candidacy the candidate then forfeits their deposit.

Deposit

If a person wishes to run as a candidate, they must deposit the sum of $100 with the Returning Officer. The deposit is returned to the candidate if:

• The candidate is elected
• The candidate receives at least 15% share of the popular vote, or his or her official agent has received an interim certificate by the Chief Electoral Officer after filing a report of his or her expenses
• The candidate dies before the closing of the polls

If the deposit is not reimbursed, the Minister of Finance pays it to the Consolidated Fund of the Province.

Campaign Finance

Contributions

Contributions are services, money, or other property donated to a candidate to support his or her political purposes.

• Contributions do not include: Goods and services produced by voluntary, unpaid labour
• Money raised at an event aimed at the general solicitation of funds, as long as those contributions are less than $25
• Prices for tickets to fundraising events, as long as the price does not exceed $50

Contribution Limits

There are no restrictions on candidates accepting contributions from any source except:

• No anonymous contributions may be accepted (they are to be returned, if possible, or turned over to the Chief Electoral Officer)
• No one can contribute funds not belonging to the contributor (except if their identity is confirmed, or the funds belong to the spouse of the contributor)

Expenses

Election expenses include all expenses incurred during an election for the purposes of promoting or opposing, directly or indirectly, the election of a candidate, or person who becomes or is likely to become a candidate (or the program or policy of a candidate or party). This includes expenditures incurred before an election for literature, objects or materials of an advertising nature used during the election for a purpose referred to above.

The following are not considered election expenses:

• The cost of publication in a newspaper or other periodical of editorials, news, reports, or letters to the editor that are published in the same manner and under the same rules as outside the election period without payment, reward or promise of payment or reward. This rule is provided that the newspaper or other periodical is not established for the purpose of the election or with a view to the election and that the publication's frequency and circulation do not differ from what obtains outside the election period
• The cost of transmission by a radio or television station of a broadcaster of news or comment that is made in the same manner and under the same regulations as outside the election period without payment, reward or promise of payment or reward
• The necessary cost of holding a convention in respect of an electoral district for candidate selection (including the reasonable expenses of the candidates at the convention, the cost of renting a hall and the convening of delegates. This does not include publicity costs, and, apart from expenses of candidates other than the candidates selected, must not exceed $1000)
• Reasonable expenses incurred by a candidate or any other person, out of his or her own money, for his or her lodging and food during a journey for election purposes if those expenses are not reimbursed to him or her
• A candidate’s transportation costs
• The transportation costs of any person other than a candidate, paid out of his or her own money if those costs are not reimbursed to him or her
• The sum deposited with a nomination paper
• The usual expenses usually incurred for the current operation of one permanent office in the Province of a recognized party if the leader of the party, before the seventh day following the issue of the writ has given written notice to the Chief Electoral Officer of the existence of the office, of its exact address and of any change of address

Expense Limits

Expense limits vary for each election period. They are adjusted according to the Consumer Price Index. For example, in the 1999 general election, a candidate’s election expenses could not exceed the aggregate of:

• $4.47 per elector for the first 5000 electors
• $3.80 per elector for the second 5000 electors
• $3.35 for every elector over 10,000

A candidate’s personal expenses which are not paid out of his or her own pocket may not exceed $1000.

Disclosure of Contributions and Expenses

Within 90 days after the fixed day for the return of the writ of election, the candidate must deliver an election expenses report to the returning officer. Accompanying this report must be invoices, receipts, and other vouchers or certified copies of them, a list of those documents, and an affidavit of the official agent verifying the report. The affidavit of the official agent must state that no payment not permitted under the law was made with his or her knowledge and consent, and their belief that all expenses incurred were entered into the report. The report must detail expenses separately by whether they are paid, unpaid and uncontested, and unpaid and contested. A return containing all statements on contributions must also be submitted. For any contribution in excess of $50, the names, addresses, and amount of contribution for each contributor must be recorded. An aggregate total of any contributions less than $50 must also be reported.

Reimbursement of Expenses

If a candidate wins the election or receives no less than 15% of the valid votes cast, then they qualify for reimbursement from the Chief Electoral Officer. The reimbursement cannot exceed the total of valid campaign expenses. The amount is established by:

• Multiplying the number of electors by an amount per elector
• The amount varies from year to year, and is determined by applying the cost of living index to the statutory amount in the legislation

In electoral districts where there is more than one official candidate for an officially recognized party, the total reimbursement amount for all candidates of the same party must not exceed 25¢ for each elector whose name was on the official list of electors for the district. Reimbursement must be divided equally among the candidates.

Once the official agent of a candidate has reported the election expenses of their candidate, and met all requirements, the Chief Electoral Officer must:

• Approve, as soon as is possible, payment of 75% of the reimbursement to which a candidate is entitled when the Chief Electoral Officer is satisfied that expenses in at least that amount have been incurred
• Approve the remaining reimbursement amount to which the candidate is entitled when the Chief Electoral Officer has determined that the report is accurate and that the expenses claimed are valid election expenses

Further Information

Elections Nova Scotia
Chief Electoral Officer

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This page was last modified: August 10, 2007