Election Officials
You’d be surprised how many people it takes to keep Nova Scotia’s democratic process moving smoothly, impartially, and quickly for you.
Chief Electoral Officer
Who is it? Ms. Christine McCulloch.
How does the CEO get the job? Appointed by Cabinet.
What are the responsibilities? Keeping elections fair.
Elections Nova Scotia Staff
Who are they? Civil servants.
How did they get the job? Through job competitions.
What are the responsibilities? Under the direction of the
Chief Electoral Officer, perform necessary duties of the office.
Returning Officer
Who are they? 52 (plus two Assistant Returning Officers in Inverness and
Guysborough–Sheet Harbour) across Nova Scotia.
How did they get the job? Appointed by Cabinet or the Chief Electoral Officer.
What are the responsibilities?
Running elections according to the Elections Act in their own electoral district/managing the
district’s returning office and staff.
Election Clerk
Who are they? 52 across Nova Scotia plus two in the satellite returning offices
in Inverness and Guysborough-Sheet Harbour.
How did they get the job? Appointed by the Returning
Officer.
What are the responsibilities? Assists the Returning Officer.
Revision Assistant
Who are they? There could be 52 or more across Nova Scotia.
How did they get the job? Appointed by the Returning Officer.
What are the responsibilities? Takes applications for
additions and changes in the List of Electors at the returning office – these applications are
from people who are entitled to vote but are not on the List or their information is outdated.
Deputy Returning Officer
How did they get the job? Appointed by the Returning Officer. The
Returning Officer will select a DRO from a list of names supplied by the candidate of the political
party that finished first in the last election (or by-election).
What are the responsibilities?
Represents the Returning Officer at an individual polling station.
Poll Clerk
How did they get the job? Appointed by the Returning Officer. The Returning Officer
will select a Poll Clerk from a list of names supplied by the candidate of the political party that
finished second in the last election (or by-election).
What are the responsibilities? Works with the
Deputy Returning Officer and makes entries in the poll book of those who vote.
Supervising Deputy Returning Officer
How did they get the job? Appointed by the Returning
Officer.
What are the responsibilities? Supervising Deputy Returning Officers are appointed for
central polling places containing 5 or more polling stations. They assist members of the public with
finding the correct polling station, call each worker in their central polling place to be sure that
they will attend on election day, and keep the Returning Officer informed of any problems at the
polling place.
Polling Day Revision Assistant
How did they get the job? Appointed by the Returning Officer.
What are the responsibilities? Takes applications for additions and changes in the List of Electors
at the advance poll and on election day.
Revising Agents
How did they get the job? Appointed by the Returning Officer. The Returning
Officer will select a pair of Revising Agents for each portion of a polling division in which
enumeration is to occur from a list of names supplied by the parties whose candidates came first and
second in the last election (or by-election).
What are the responsibilities? Similar to Enumerators,
a pair of Revising Agents goes door to door in designated areas to collect and correct information
on the List of Electors for a polling division.
Enumerators
How did they get the job? Appointed by the Returning Officer. The Returning Officer
will select a pair of Enumerators for each polling division in which enumeration is to occur from a
list of names supplied by the political parties whose candidates came first and second in the last
election (or by-election).
What are the responsibilities? A pair of Enumerators goes door to door in
a polling division to collect the names and particulars of each person living at that civic address.
Constable
How did they get the job? Appointed by the Returning Officer or Deputy Returning
Officer.
What are the responsibilities? Constables are appointed to “maintain peace and good
order” in a polling station. They cause someone disturbing the peace to be removed or
arrested, direct traffic, and assist the Supervising Deputy Returning Officer directing voters in
large polling sites to the appropriate polling station.
Ballot Box Messenger
How did they get the job? Appointed by the Returning Officer.
What are the responsibilities? To collect and transport voting material from the Deputy Returning Officers in
larger electoral districts to the Returning Officer.
Agent (sometimes called a scrutineer)
Who is it? Represents a particular candidate at a polling
station.
How did they get the job? Appointed by the candidate.
What are the responsibilities?
Observes (scrutinizes) the voting and counting of ballots.
Would You like to Get Involved?
- Click here for applications and employment opportunities.
- Click here for a complete selection of the handbooks and forms we’ve put together about these and other positions
