Chamber encourages people to get out and vote on Election Day

TRURO – The Truro & Colchester Chamber of Commerce is encouraging people to exercise their democratic rights by participating in municipal and school board elections. During the last municipal election in 2012, overall voter turnout across the province was just 42.66 per cent.

“The grassroots work of municipal councils potentially has the greatest and most identifiable impact on local constituents,” says Andrew Lake, President of the Chamber. “It’s important for residents to exercise their right to vote for the individual best suited to represent their ‎needs.”

In Colchester County’s advance polls, held on Oct 8 and 11, slightly less than five per cent of the 28,546 registered voters cast ballots. Polling stations in the county will be open on Oct. 15 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

As of Thursday morning, the voter turnout stats for the Town of Truro’s advance polls were about 27.2 per cent based on the total number of voters appearing on the list of electors.

Truro’s eVoting system opened on Oct. 6 and is available 24 hours a day until the official close of polls at 7 p.m. on Oct. 15.

A voter kiosk will operate at the Truro Mall on Friday, Oct. 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There are also kiosks at the Truro Public Library, the Millbrook Band Hall, the Douglas Street Recreation Centre and Town Hall until closing time for each building on Friday. There will be multiple voting stations available, at Town Hall only, near the Lorne Street entrance, on Saturday from 8 a.m. until the polls close at 7 p.m.

In Stewiacke, internet and telephone voting started Oct. 8 and will remain active until Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. A poll station for paper voting will be held at the Town Hall, 295 George St., Stewiacke, on Oct. 15 starting at 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voter turnout in Stewiacke in the 2012 election bucked the provincial trend reaching 58.54 per cent.