N.S. government sets third Tuesday in July as new fixed date for elections every 4 years

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston has moved to establishfixeddates for provincialgeneral elections, ensuring future campaigns will take place in the summer.

Houston introduced a bill Wednesday to makeJuly 15, 2025, the date ofthe next general election.

Subsequent elections would take place on the third Tuesday in Julyevery four years.

Speaking to reporters following first reading, Houston said the summer vote is "a date that made sense to us."

"There's a lot of reasons that it makes sense to have it in that time period," he said. "Schools are vacant. We can use schools as polling stations."

Nova Scotia is the last province in Canada to move to fixed election dates.

NDP balk at mid-summer election

But a mid-summer vote makes no sense to NDPLeader Gary Burrill.

"Of the list of possible, reasonable, helpful dates for fixed election, the middle of July would be about No.37," Burrill told reporters outside the legislative chamber.

He said the objective of democratic reform is to increase engagement in the political process something unlikely in the middle of summer.

"What part of the year are people less engaged than ... the dead centre of July?" he said.

Liberal Leader Iain Rankin said he needs more time to talk with his caucus before taking a position on the date, but he said the partycould in principle supportdiscussion on a fixed election date.