2008 Halifax municipal election
The Halifax Regional Municipality is governed by a mayor and a twenty-three person council, who are elected by geographic district; municipal elections occur every four years. HRM has established community councils where three or more councillors agree to form these councils to deal primarily with local development issues. Most community council decisions are subject to final approval by regional council. The incumbent Mayor of the Halifax Regional Municipality was Peter J. Kelly.
The Halifax Regional Council is responsible for all facets of municipal government, including the Halifax Regional Police, Halifax Public Libraries, Halifax Fire and Emergency, Halifax Regional Water Commission, parks and recreation, civic addressing, public works, waste management, and planning and development.
The 2008 municipal elections of the Halifax Regional Municipality took place on October 18, 2008 in conjunction with Municipal elections across the province. Elections have been held every four years since the amalgamation of the cities of Halifax and Dartmouth, the town of Bedford and Halifax County into the Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996. At the time, the regional council was made up of twenty-three councillors and one mayor, all positions were up for election.
There are no political parties at the municipal level in Nova Scotia, so all candidates run as independents. Voter turnout in the last 2004 mayoral election was 54.45%.
Advance voting was available using an internet voting system.
[Halifax Regional Municipality] Mayor
''''District 1: Eastern Shore">Eastern Shore (Nova Scotia)">Eastern Shore - [Musquodoboit Valley]
''2004 Election - Steve Streatch 2,366 ; Laurie Taylor 1,367 ; Martin Singh 740 ; Randy Carter 600 - Voter turnout: 54.58%''District 2: Waverley">Waverley, Nova Scotia">Waverley - Fall River">Fall River, Nova Scotia">Fall River - Beaver Bank">Beaver Bank, Nova Scotia">Beaver Bank
''2004 Election - Krista Snow 2,577 ; Wayne MacRae 2,317 ; David Merrigan 1,573 ; Alexander Boyd 866 ; John Woods 60 - Voter turnout: 58.57%''District 3: Preston">Preston, Nova Scotia">Preston - Lawrencetown">Lawrencetown, Halifax County, Nova Scotia">Lawrencetown - Chezzetcook, Nova Scotia|Chezzetcook]]
''2004 Election - David Hendsbee 4,217 ; Dexter Power 1,244 ; David Hill 430 - Voter Turnout: 43.93%''District 4: Cole Harbour">Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia">Cole Harbour
''2004 Election - Harry McInroy 3,566 ; Ron Cooper 3,014 - Voter Turnout: 48.22%''District 5: Dartmouth Centre">Downtown Dartmouth">Dartmouth Centre
''2004 Election - Gloria McCluskey 3,217 ; John M. Cunningham 1,546 ; Peter Majeau 1,180 - Voter turnout: 50.51%''District 6: Dartmouth East - The Lakes">Dartmouth, Nova Scotia">Dartmouth East - The Lakes
''2004 Election - Andrew Younger 3,263 ; Brian Warshick 2,748 ; Henry J. White 295 - Voter Turnout: 52.19%''District 7: Portland">Portland Estates, Nova Scotia">Portland - East Woodlawn">Woodlawn, Nova Scotia">East Woodlawn
''2004 Election - Bill Karsten 1,656 ; Emmett Austin 1,533 ; Monique Smith 1,505 ; Norman Wiechert 1,243 ; John L. MacDougall 460 - Voter Turnout: 54.05%''District 8: Woodside">Woodside, Nova Scotia">Woodside - Eastern Passage">Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia">Eastern Passage
2007 By-election - Jackie Barkhouse 48.31; Brian Birt 25.12; David F Boyd 2; Beverley Skaalrud-Woodfield 24.58''2004 Election - Becky Kent 1,977 ; Bruce F. Hetherington 1,359 ; Maurice Henneberry 1,049 ; Steven Michael Barkhouse 616 - Voter Turnout: 42.95%''