Halifax shares list of candidates, including all 16 running for mayor, ahead of October election

The Halifax Regional Municipality has unveiled the list of candidates running in next month's municipal election. 

With Mayor Mike Savage not seeking re-election, a whopping 16 people have thrown their hat in the ring for mayor, including previously announced councillors Waye Mason and Pam Lovelace, and former Liberal MP Andy Fillmore, who resigned his seat in Parliament earlier this month.

They're part of a crowded field that has 63 people vying for 16 council seats across the municipality.

With the deadline for nominations passing earlier this week, the campaign has officially kicked off in earnest, said Iain MacLean, HRM's municipal clerk and the returning officer for the Oct. 19 election.

"You're going to start seeing more campaigning, you're going to see more signs on the roads, you're going to see more people, maybe, knocking on your door," he said Thursday. 

Most councillors are seeking another term. The exceptions are Lisa Blackburn (District 14), Lindell Smith (District 8) and Tim Outhit (District 16). Mason (District 7) and Lovelace (District 13) are not running in their districts as they're in the mayoral race. 

Online voting

MacLean said that by the first week of October, residents can expect to see a letter that will give them information on voting, including a PIN that will allow them to cast their vote in advance online. 

In 2020, voter turnout for the HRM was 39.7 per cent, said MacLean. Of those votes, which were cast during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, 79.6 per cent were cast online. 

Voters unsure if they're on the municipality's voter list should visit the HRM election website to learn how to register or confirm their eligibility, he added. 

Election day is on Oct. 19. Advance voting, online or by phone, will be available from Oct. 8-16, and in person on Oct. 12 and Oct. 15.

The full list of candidates is available here. 

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