The weak voter turnout in Nova Scotia’s election is "shocking" but not a complete surprise, says a political scientist after almost 66,000 fewer voters cast ballots than in the 2021 vote.

Voter turnout in this week's provincial election in Nova Scotia hit an all-time low, with only 45 per cent of the electorate casting a ballot, according to unofficial results from Elections Nova Scotia.

Nova Scotia Liberal Leader Zach Churchill has lost his seat in the provincial election, and his party was booted out of official Opposition status by the NDP. Elections Nova Scotia says Churchill lost to Progressive Conservative Nick Hilton by 14 votes in the riding of Yarmouth.

Nova Scotia voters handed Tim Houston's Progressive Conservatives a second consecutive majority government in Tuesday's provincial election, a formidable outcome aided in part by the stunning collapse of Liberal support.

Tim Houston gambled that Nova Scotia voters would re-elect the Progressive Conservatives with another majority — even though he ignored his government's fixed-election-date legislation.