A Beginner’s Guide to the 2024 Mayoral Election
Written by Theressa Jabbour
Header and Thumbnail photo of Halifax City Hall by Theressa Jabbour
(Election information is accurate as of Wednesday, 2nd of October, 2024)
As a university student, your priorities understandably might not go further than the edge of campus. Your days are filled with classes, assignments and perhaps a part-time job. Your social life revolves around your class schedule, a society and maybe a varsity game or two. While the outside world continues on its merry way, you may feel safe and sound in your bubble. However, it is important to stay informed about the political happenings of the city you live in, especially when the Halifax Municipal Elections are on the horizon. Taking place every four years, this general election will see one mayor and 16 councillors elected to Regional Council, as well as several Conseil Scolaire Acadien Provincial (CSAP) Members elected to the Halifax-area school board. The 2024 edition is scheduled for Saturday, the 19th of October, and university students have the right to vote in these elections, subject to certain parameters of course.
As a young adult, elections might be a path you have yet to navigate on your own. For many who have turned 18 years old in the past few years, this may be the first election of any kind they can legally vote in. Although many students at Saint Mary’s University (SMU) would be familiar with small-scale elections, having just voted in the Saint Mary’s University’s Student Association (SMUSA) election this past February, the Halifax Municipal Election might not be on their radar. The current political media coverage might be focused on the neighbouring United States of America’s presidential election, taking place in November, and the whispers of an upcoming provincial election, but at this point in the Municipal election cycle, you may have received a flyer in the mail, heard about it on the radio, or noticed election signs on lawns. If you want to learn more about how to get involved with this Municipal Election and make your voice heard, this article can provide you with a starting point.
Photo of Halifax City Hall by Theressa Jabbour
Student Voices:
Students at universities within Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) face a set of challenges that may not be comparable to the general population of the municipality. While rising housing and food costs are a general concern to a large number of residents, the reliability of public transportation, concern with part-time jobs and food insecurity can sometimes affect university students more than others due to the added responsibilities of full-time or part-time studies.
SMUSA’s very own VP Advocacy, Prajwal Shetty, has a few words of advice for students thinking about voting in these elections. “Voting is a fundamental responsibility, it’s a fundamental right available to citizens,” says Shetty, “Voting gives you the power to express your beliefs [which can help] elected officials bring about meaningful change in our society.” When politicians or those in positions of power are looking for community feedback, it is important for students to voice their concerns. It is not enough to simply say “it’s not your cup of tea,” remarks Shetty. The VP Advocacy hopes students will conduct their own research, exercising their critical thinking skills. “It’s important for us to get educated and then come up with proper tangible solutions that we can propose to the people who are in positions of power,” he muses, emphasising using every resource at one’s disposal to make an educated decision. SMUSA is a proud advocate for student needs, working with groups like Students Nova Scotia and Student Housing Nova Scotia to ensure student voices are heard across all levels of government, including municipal. If students take three things away from this interview, Shetty hopes it is to conduct their own research, read the candidate’s platforms, and figure out what issues resonate with them. “Students are the future of this country.”
Students should be involved with voting in order to bring about change. If you are affected by any of the issues plaguing the municipality, your vote could help ensure their resolution through the work of the Regional Council.
Mayoral Candidates:
The mayor and 16 councillors make up the Regional Council, in which they work towards making a difference in HRM through legislative and governance decisions. HRM operates under the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter, which states that the mayor presides over council meetings, and all council members, including the mayor, are required to vote on any question presented at the meeting.
Current mayor Mike Savage will not be running for the 2024 election, stepping down after 12 years, meaning HRM will be welcoming a new face to the role. The official candidates list for the municipal elections was finalised early in September, with 16 candidates standing for mayor.
The SMU Journal reached out to all 16 candidates for a statement on their platform, asking about how they will support university students once elected. Of the 16 contacted, 12 candidates replied by the date of publication of this article. Their replies have been edited for clarity and brevity. The remaining candidates’ platforms can be found on their websites or social media: Andy Fillmore, Andrew Goodsell, Darryl Johnson, and Zoran Jokic.
Any opinions reported in this article do not in any way or form reflect those of the Journal. The Journal remains an independent, unbiased publication committed to upholding journalistic integrity. A copy of the message that was sent to all candidates, and their replies, can be found here.
Bob Anders:
Bob Anders believes students should elect him if they think the current way of doing things needs changing. I'm not a politician. He will support students by encouraging them to become part of the discussion and by really listening to their ideas about making Halifax a place everyone talks about. Anders plans to have and film discussions with various stakeholders about the major topics (homelessness, transit, growth, etc) with people from municipal and provincial governments, private groups and smart people on the subject, where they can really understand how things currently work (and don't work) and collect innovative ideas about doing things in a better way.
Alex Andreas:
Alex Andreas is not waiting for provincial handouts and promises to regulate short-term rentals, using fees to directly support those in need, including students struggling with rent. He is committed to community support, pledging to donate $10,000 annually from his salary to assist students, as well as enforcing stricter oversight on renovation evictions and pushing for new housing policies that could benefit first-year medical doctor graduates. Andreas also plans to establish a community representative from each college and university who will present issues or growth ideas in front of the city council bi-monthly.
David Boyd:
David Boyd believes that university students are a vital part of the community, and their voices and concerns are crucial to shaping the future of the city. He will work to increase the availability of affordable housing options specifically for students by collaborating with universities and private developers, and improve the public transportation system to make it more reliable, affordable, and accessible by expanding routes and schedules to better serve student needs. Boyd also plans to partner with local businesses and educational institutions to create more job and internship opportunities for students, advocate for increased funding and resources for mental health services, promote green initiatives and support projects that reduce our carbon footprint, and establish regular forums and advisory councils to ensure that student voices are heard and considered in municipal decision-making processes.
Sean Dibbin:
Sean Dibbin will support any opportunity that comes up in council to support and help university students. He states the main focus of his campaign is to make sure the young generation is included in the conversation for help. Dibbin believes the best approach to public transit is to hear and understand the shortcomings by those who use the service consistently in order to improve and expand where needed.
Ryan Dodge:
Ryan Dodge believes in making decisions openly and being accountable for them and hopes to focus on issues that matter to university students. Working together is key to Dodge, and he plans on connecting students with local businesses for internships and job opportunities, improving public transportation and neighbourhood safety, and supporting affordable housing. He would also set aside resources for mental health services on campuses, and partner with universities to address community issues and build strong relationships between the city and academic institutions, creating a better environment for university students to do well in their studies and personal lives.
Greg Frampton:
Greg Frampton is running for Mayor to try to preserve something for the young generation. He hopes students will become aware and be engaged in the election and seek out information and ask questions of the candidates, and believes it is important to think critically on the issues rather than accept and substitute the media's messages or those from special interest groups as one's own opinion. Frampton believes that most of the problems people face today are the fault of the federal government's actions regarding immigration. As mayor, he will reverse what he believes are negative changes to the traffic system and city policies based on the Paris Accord, a treaty he believes is very bad for young people such as students at SMU. Frampton also plans to reduce taxes, leading to lower rent, and is open to discussing options for zoning that would help with student housing.
Photo of Halifax City Hall by Theressa Jabbour
Nolan Greenough:
Nolan Greenough believes that a university student can feel safe voting for him because he will listen to them, and can relate to their hardships without dismissing them as "part of growing up." Young people are facing distinctly different problems than most of the people on the ballot did when they were this age. He does not have a comprehensive plan specifically for supporting university students, but he does think improving transit, with a long term vision to have it run later into the night, and expanding urban farms, with produce mostly making its way to foodbanks, are some of the things he is bringing to the table that can very much apply to university students.
Jim Hoskins:
Jim Hoskins believes students are a very important part of the economy of HRM, and he plans for a reduction in the transit fares but also a total overhaul and students should certainly express their views. He also advises that some of the committees in HRM may be interesting for students regarding volunteering and jobs in the HRM community.
Pam Lovelace:
Pam Lovelace is concerned that university students feel like they do not have a voice in the growth of their city. In her tenure on HRM Council, she met with SMUSA, Students Nova Scotia and CFS to get a better understanding of their priorities and concerns. As mayor, Lovelace will ensure that a stronger relationship is developed between the Mayor and students to establish a better relationship with young people, and make sure they are engaged in creating a better Halifax.
Waye Mason:
Waye Mason has been a councillor in HRM for three terms, since 2012, and knows how the municipality works and how to get things done. He wants to make it clear that university students are residents who deserve to be heard and who deserve the same benefits of living in HRM as lifelong residents, and has incorporated their input and ideas from his time as councillor into his campaign. Mason is committed to increasing the frequency and ease of transit, decreasing congestion and addressing the climate crisis by prioritising investment in bus lane construction and establishing 24/7 transit service. He wants to keep walkers, rollers, and cyclists safer by delivering on road safety policy changes and making safety and speed enforcement a priority for police. Mason plans to establish an agency called Housing Halifax to build and operate housing projects, as well as renew the call to take over responsibility for this housing in HRM from the province. He will be a Mayor who knows that consistent, small efforts are key to creating lasting change.
Riley Murphy:
Riley Murphy believes HRM needs a leader driven by the love of our community, not the lure of big money like ‘brand-name’ politicians. He plans on supporting university students through various initiatives such as incentives to prioritise affordable housing, opt-in extended health care benefits, ensuring everyone has input in decision making through polling, surveys, and town halls by using apps, physical forms, and phone calls on their own time. He would also upgrade transit security such as lighting and surveillance, and also modernise dedicated bus lanes and traffic signal priority systems to reduce delays and improve service efficiency.
Ross Rankin:
Ross Rankin plans for his administration to work towards bringing the overburdened public transportation up to par with the demands of a growing city with a bustling student population, and seeks to see that suburban bylaws are adjusted to open up the opportunity for affordable housing to become available with the infrastructure standing now. He is currently a university student at SMU, with 6 years of post secondary education having taught him how to take complex issues and information and how to create measurable attainable goals. He also strongly believes in the responsibility of the government to encourage and endorse reasonable accommodation and nutritious and accessible food for students and its citizens, and that students should spend their time on campus, studying their majors, not studying where the best prices for their next meal are.
There are also currently 63 people running for councillors in HRM’s 16 electoral districts. You can read more about their policies on the HRM election website.
Voting Rules and Regulations:
As reported in an article by CTV News, voter turnout in HRM elections has been on a steady decline since 2004, with a slight uptick in 2020. Recorded as 48.39% in 2004, gradually decreasing to 31.77% in 2016, and increasing back to 39.77% in 2020, this rise in participation rate could be attributed to a number of factors, including the accessibility of voting. A new measure has been introduced to ensure voting for this election is accessible to all eligible voters, with HRM providing numerous voting options. This new online voting system, Simply Voting, mimics a paper ballot, with the added benefit of not requiring an in-person visit. While HRM does not expect this to have an effect on voter turnout, it stands to reason that increased accessibility can be beneficial in the long run.
Eligible voters include all those holding Canadian citizenship and are 18 years of age or older on the first day of advance voting, who have been a resident of Nova Scotia for at least six months prior to the first day of advance voting, and have been a resident of Halifax since right before the first day of advance voting. Student voters attending university or college in Halifax can vote, if they meet these basic requirements. Note: Students can be considered residents of either the location of their family home or the location in which they attend school, but not both.
There were 32,346 students enrolled in post-secondary academic institutions in 2022-2023, according to the 2024 edition of the Halifax Index. With domestic students making up 77.44% of the university student population, having 14, 452 Nova Scotian residents and 10, 598 Canadian students, the student demographic is 5.09% of the total Halifax population estimated in July of 2023. While these numbers might not accurately represent the 2024 demographic data, one can consider them comparable for the purposes of this article, meaning around 5% of students in HRM could be considered eligible for voting, within a margin of error.
The 2024 Municipal Election is scheduled for the 19th of October, with advance online and phone voting taking place between the 8th and the 16th of October. For those who prefer to vote in person, advance in-person electronic voting will be available at polling stations on the 12th and the 15th of October, and in person ballot voting will be open to all eligible residents of HRM’s 16 districts on election day, the 19th of October. Voter information letters will be mailed to voters’ addresses sometime in October, containing details of polling locations and registration. While advance polling locations are open to all residents on the 12th and 15th, specific locations will be identified in the letter for visitation on election day, the 19th.
Photo of Halifax City Hall by Theressa Jabbour
Voting can be daunting for first time voters. Although the election website does not contain a step-by-step guide, HRM lists your voting options. In addition, you can contact the voter helpline for any questions or assistance by calling 902.490.VOTE (8683) or 1.844.301.VOTE (8683) (toll-free), and by emailing election@halifax.ca. If you need some tips, Halifax Examiner has put together a review of the online voting system to help you know what to expect, Halifax Public Libraries has published a resource for voters, and the Simply Voting website even has a demo for voters to familiarise themselves with the system.
While this article provides you with a brief overview of the 2024 Mayoral Election, it is important to conduct your own research regarding candidates for both Mayor and Regional Council. You can visit the election website, explore candidate platforms, and understand the challenges facing HRM. VP Advocacy Prajwal Shetty advised on the responsibility of voting, including the importance of forming your own opinion from various resources. Voting is the responsibility of the resident, the same way that the resident is the responsibility of the mayor and Regional Council. Make your voices heard, they matter and can make a difference.