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Election Tariff of Fees and Expenses
made under subsection 355(1) of the
Elections Act
S.N.S. 2011, c. 5
O.I.C. 2012-328 (October 9, 2012), N.S. Reg. 191/2012
Citation
1 These regulations may be cited as the Election Tariff of Fees and Expenses.
Definitions
2 In this tariff,
“Act” means the Elections Act;
“minimum wage” means the wage fixed at the hourly rate for experienced employees as set out in the Minimum Wage Order (General) made by the Governor in Council under the Labour Standards Code;
“returning office core staff” means any of the following:
(i) a returning officer,
(ii) an assistant returning officer,
(iii) an election clerk,
(iv) an assistant election clerk,
(v) a revision assistant,
(vi) a presiding officer,
(vii) a deputy presiding officer.
Application of payment provisions
3 Provisions in this tariff for payments to election officers do not apply to the Chief Electoral Officer or the Assistant Chief Electoral Officer.
Processing claims
4 (1) A claim made under this tariff for fees for services or payment of an expense must be submitted to Elections Nova Scotia after the services are rendered or the expense is incurred.
(2) Except as provided in subsection (3), Elections Nova Scotia must not process a claim that is received more than 6 months after the date the services were rendered or the expense was incurred.
(3) In extraordinary circumstances, the Chief Electoral Officer may approve payment of a claim that is received after the date specified in subsection (2).
Hourly Fees
Elections Nova Scotia casual support workers
5 (1) In this Section, “casual support workers” means casual support workers who assist at the head office of Elections Nova Scotia and whose employment is directly related to preparing for or conducting an election.
(2) The hourly fee to be paid for all services provided by casual support workers is minimum wage plus between $3 and $20 per hour, to be determined by the Chief Electoral Officer based on the nature of the job and the worker’s experience.
Returning office core staff
6 The hourly fees payable to returning office core staff are as set out in the following table:
Returning Office Core Staff Position
Services Provided
Hourly Fee
returning officer
all services provided in carrying out duties as determined by Chief Electoral Officer
minimum wage plus $20 per hour
assistant returning officer
all services provided in carrying out duties as determined by Chief Electoral Officer
minimum wage plus $20 per hour
election clerk
all services provided in carrying out duties as determined by Chief Electoral Officer
minimum wage plus $12 per hour
assistant election clerk
all services provided in carrying out duties as determined by Chief Electoral Officer
minimum wage plus $12 per hour
revision assistant
all services provided in carrying out duties as determined by Chief Electoral Officer
minimum wage plus $12 per hour
presiding officer
all services provided for continuous poll or write-in ballot poll, including counting ballots on election day, if required to do so
minimum wage plus $12 per hour
deputy presiding officer
all services provided for continuous poll or write-in ballot poll, including counting ballots on election day, if required to do so
minimum wage plus $12 per hour
Returning office casual workers
7 The hourly fees for all services provided by returning office casual workers are as set out in the following table:
Returning Office Casual Worker Position
Hourly Fee
write-in ballot coordinator
minimum wage plus $10 per hour
assistant write-in ballot coordinator
minimum wage plus $5 per hour
Returning office field workers
8 The hourly fees for all services provided by returning office field workers are as set out in the following table:
Returning Office Field Worker Position
Hourly Fee
enumerator
minimum wage plus $5 per hour
supervising deputy returning officer
minimum wage plus $7 per hour, to maximum of
— 24 hours during advance poll;
— 15 hours on election day
deputy returning officer
minimum wage plus $5 per hour, to maximum of
— 24 hours during advance poll;
— 15 hours on election day
poll clerk
minimum wage plus $5 per hour, to maximum of
— 24 hours during advance poll;
— 15 hours on election day
election officer appointed to count ballots on election day
minimum wage plus $5 per hour, to maximum of 3 hours
standby election officer position designated by Chief Electoral Officer
minimum wage plus $5 per hour, to maximum of
— 4 hours per day during advance poll;
— 4 hours on election day
information officer appointed by returning officer to provide specific information to electors, as directed by Chief Electoral Officer
minimum wage plus $3 per hour, to maximum of
— 24 hours during advance poll;
— 15 hours on election day
election officer 16 to 18 years old appointed to position designated by Chief Electoral Officer under Section 83 of the Act
minimum wage plus $3 per hour
constable at election day poll, advance poll or returning office headquarters
minimum wage plus $3 per hour, to maximum of 15 hours per day
uniformed police officer appointed to provide services with prior approval of Chief Electoral Officer
actual and reasonable costs of services, supported by invoices
ballot box courier collecting election documents following close of polls
minimum wage plus $5 per hour
Attending training or meeting—returning office core staff and casual workers
9 (1) Subject to subsection (2), the hourly fee payable under Section 6 to a person in a returning office core staff position or under Section 7 to a person who is a returning office casual worker is also payable to the person for
(a) the hours during which the person, at the direction of the Chief Electoral Officer, attends a meeting, a course or training; and
(b) any hours in addition to the hours referred to in clause (a) during which the person is required to be absent from their place of residence in order to attend the meeting, course or training.
(2) The number of hours for which a person is entitled to payment under this Section is as determined by the Chief Electoral Officer.
Attending training or meeting—returning office field workers
10 The hourly fee payable under Section 8 to a returning office field worker is also payable to the worker for the hours during which the worker attends and receives instructions from a returning officer at the direction of the Chief Electoral Officer, to a maximum of 4 hours.
Casual clerical staff appointed by returning officer
11 (1) With the prior approval of the Chief Electoral Officer, a returning officer may engage the services of a person to provide clerical or data processing services at a returning office.
(2) The hourly fee payable to a person appointed under subsection (1) is minimum wage plus $5 per hour.
Additional election officer position
12 The hourly fee to be paid for all services provided by an additional election officer appointed under subsection 81(12) of the Act for the purpose of improving returning office and poll operations for a single election is minimum wage plus between $3 and $20 per hour, to be determined by the Chief Electoral Officer based on the nature of the job and the worker’s experience.
Elector called as witness
13 An hourly fee of minimum wage plus $3 per hour is payable for all services provided by an elector who, at the request of a returning officer, deputy returning officer or presiding officer, acts as a witness to any of the following when a candidate is not represented:
(a) the verification and count of ballots for a write-in ballot;
(b) count of the votes at a polling station;
(c) the official addition of votes.
Authorized Expenses
Allowances for travel, meals and accommodation
14 (1) Subject to the limits in subsection (4) for specified election officers, the Chief Electoral Officer may authorize a kilometrage allowance and expenses for meals and accommodation to be paid to any election officer or worker included in this tariff.
(2) All travel by election officers or workers must be in accordance with policies set by the Chief Electoral Officer, but any kilometrage allowance must be in accordance with the travel policy governing public servants of the Province.
(3) A claim for payment under this Section must be supported by the following:
(a) for meal or accommodation expenses, a statement of expenses, including itemized receipts;
(b) for a kilometrage allowance, an online-generated map or other form of documentation, as directed by the Chief Electoral Officer, that evidences the distance travelled.
(4) The following election officers may be paid only the allowances and expenses specified:
(a) returning office core staff may be paid a kilometrage allowance for all of the following:
(i) travel necessary to attend a meeting, a course or training at the direction of the Chief Electoral Officer,
(ii) travel for business-related purposes within their electoral district at the direction of the Chief Electoral Officer,
(iii) if their place of residence is more than 20 km from returning office headquarters, the portion of the distance traveled between the place of residence and the returning office headquarters that is in excess of 20 km;
(b) returning office core staff may be reimbursed for reasonable meal and accommodation expenses incurred
(i) while attending a meeting, a course or training at the direction of the Chief Electoral Officer, and
(ii) as approved by the Chief Electoral Officer;
(c) a write-in ballot coordinator or an assistant write-in ballot co-ordinator may be paid a kilometrage allowance and be reimbursed for reasonable meal and accommodation expenses, as approved by the Chief Electoral Officer, for
(i) travel necessary to attend a meeting, a course or training at the direction of the Chief Electoral Officer, or
(ii) travel on business-related purposes at the direction of the returning officer;
(d) an enumerator may be paid a kilometrage allowance for travel necessary to carry out their duties, as directed by the returning officer;
(e) a ballot box courier may be paid a kilometrage allowance for travel necessary to collect election documents following the close of the polls at the direction of the returning officer;
(f) a deputy returning officer or poll clerk for a mobile poll may be paid a kilometrage allowance for travel necessary to carry out their duties on election day, as directed by the returning officer;
(g) any of the following election officers whose place of residence is more than 20 km from the location of any meeting, course or training they are attending at the direction of the Chief Electoral Officer may be paid a kilometrage allowance for the portion of the distance traveled between their place of residence and the location of the meeting, course or training that is in excess of 20 km:
(i) an enumerator,
(ii) a supervising deputy returning officer,
(iii) a deputy returning officer,
(iv) a poll clerk,
(v) an election officer appointed to count ballots on election day,
(vi) an information officer,
(vii) a person appointed to a standby election officer position designated by the Chief Electoral Officer,
(viii) an additional election officer appointed under subsection 81(12) of the Act, as referred to in Section 12.
Use of building as a polling location
15 The fees for the use of a building or part of a building as a polling location, including fuel, lights, cleaning services and furniture, are as set out in the following table:
Type of Polling Location
Fee for Building Use
Polling location
— with 1 election day polling station
— plus, for each additional election day polling station
$175.00
$50.00
Advance polling location, for the 2 days the advance poll is open and the counting of votes on election day
$350.00
Polling location with mobile polling station
$85.00
Headquarters for returning officers
16 (1) During an election, the fee for the rental of an office as a headquarters for a returning officer or assistant returning officer is the amount reasonably and actually paid in accordance with the policies of the Chief Electoral Officer and supported by a signed lease in the prescribed form.
(2) Between elections or before a writ of election is issued, if the Chief Electoral Officer approves the rental of an office as a headquarters for a returning officer or assistant returning officer to perform services at the request of the Chief Electoral Officer, or to secure space for a headquarters, the fee for the rental is the amount reasonably and actually paid in accordance with the policies of the Chief Electoral Officer and supported by a signed lease in the prescribed form.
(3) During an election, if the Chief Electoral Officer approves the use of the residence of a returning officer or assistant returning officer as a headquarters, the fee for the use of the residence is $500.
(4) Between elections or before a writ of election is issued, if the Chief Electoral Officer approves the use of the business premises of a returning officer or assistant returning officer as a headquarters, the fee for the use of the business premises is $500.
Office supplies, equipment and rental of premises
17 The fee for office supplies or equipment, rental of premises for training or any other ancillary purpose, or other items necessary for conducting an election is the amount actually and reasonably spent, supported by itemized receipts.
Printing allowance
18 The fee for printing the advance poll ballots and election day poll ballots in accordance with instructions to the printer set out by the Chief Electoral Officer is $110 per 1000 ballots.
Audit fee
19 The fee for reimbursement of an official agent of a candidate for the expenses of an audit required by Section 178 of the Act is determined based on the total amount of the candidate’s actual election expenses, as set out in the following table:
Total of Candidate’s Actual
Election Expenses
Fee for Reimbursement of
Audit Expenses
$150 or over
actual cost of audit to maximum $459.50
–or–
2% of candidate’s actual election expenses to maximum $766.50
under $150 and over $0.00
actual cost of audit to maximum $204.40
$0.00
actual cost of audit to maximum $50.00
Bookkeeping services for electoral district association
20 (1) The Chief Electoral Officer may reimburse an electoral district association for the actual costs incurred by the electoral district association in a calendar year for the services of an independent bookkeeper, including accounting software approved in advance by the Chief Electoral Officer, to a maximum annual reimbursement, excluding HST, of $357.70.
(2) An electoral district association is not eligible for reimbursement of expenses incurred for bookkeeping services provided to the electoral district association by an individual who is not independent of the electoral district association, including any of the following:
(a) a member of the electoral district association;
(b) a director or officer of the electoral district association;
(c) a chief financial officer for any of the following:
(i) a candidate,
(ii) an electoral district association,
(iii) a registered party,
(d) any individual involved in raising, spending or having custody of money or property of a candidate, electoral district association or registered party.
(3) To be eligible for reimbursement under this Section, an electoral district association
(a) must have filed all reports, documents and information required by law, in a form acceptable to the Chief Electoral Officer; and
(b) must not have been suspended under the Act.
(4) An electoral district association must include all of the bookkeeper’s invoices, including dates worked and hourly rate charged, and the receipt for purchase of any accounting software with its request for reimbursement under this Section.
(5) Reimbursement under this Section is paid by the Chief Electoral Officer in June and December of each calendar year.
Products and services provided by Elections Nova Scotia
21 The fees for products created and supplied and services provided by Elections Nova Scotia, other than products supplied during an election at no charge in accordance with subsection 10(5) of the Act, are as set out in the following table:
Product or Service
Fee
Provincial map of all electoral districts
$20.00
HRM inset map
$20.00
CBRM inset map
$20.00
electoral district map
$20.00
Provincial general election results map
$20.00
list of electors
$25.00
ballot box
$25.00
products and services not otherwise included in this table
supplied on a cost- recovery basis
Increases in Consumer Price Index
22 (1) If there is an increase in the annual Consumer Price Index for the Province in any calendar year after this tariff comes into force, the fees paid under Section 15, subsections 16(3) and (4) and Sections 18, 19, 20 and 21 increase on January 1 of the next year to reflect the increase in the Consumer Price Index in the previous year.
(2) On or before March 1 of any year in which there is an increase in accordance with subsection (1), the Chief Electoral Officer must publish the fees to be paid for that year on the Elections Nova Scotia website.
[Note: For increases to the fees under Section 22 of these regulations, please check the Elections Nova Scotia website at: http://electionsnovascotia.ns.ca/tariff.asp]
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