09 Jun Live-blogging the election broadcast

9:50  – NDP take half the vote and every seat on Nova Scotia’s South Shore, 45% of the vote in the Northeastern mainland. Astounding!

9:40  –  Look!  They let Joan Jessome back in the province. She’s been in Alberta, she’s been in Newfoundland and Labrador. She’s back in time for the party.

9:30  –  Contrarian has a theory about the three seats that are still out. In a couple of cases, there is only one poll outstanding. These may be write-in ballots, which for many Nova Scotians, presented the easiest way to vote ahead of time. So they may be big polls.

8: 49  –  In covering politics, one has to sit through a lot of bad speeches.

8:45  –  No Cape Breton seats will change hands, but several incumbents broke a sweat.

8:20  –  Pictou Center still very close between the Tories and the NDP, with the NDP up by a handfull.

8:14  –  Keith Bain will hang on in Victoria The Lakes, and good on him. A fine gentleman. My pal Fraser Patterson is a very respectable  third, running up a historic NDP high vote in that riding.

8:02 –  Cape Breton seats: Manning, Wilson, and Cecil having to fight, but will probably hold on. Alfie MacLeod getting a comfortable win. Bain probably will hold Victoria the Lakes.

7:46:  –  NDP holding Shelburne and Queens.

7:45 – Chuck Porter well ahead in Hants West, thought to be a key seat.

7:40 – Cumberland North looking interesting.

7: 12  – Most of these early results are extremely fragmentary, with very few votes, and narrow leads, but watch the CC’s “under bar.” The NDP are pulling away in a few ridings, including Guysborough.

7:10 –  Green Percey is in third place in Richmond; this may be the last time a Green appears on a riding board all evening, since the CBC boards only have room for the top three candidates.

7:05 – The CBC crew in Halifax put together a wonderful farewell video of Jim’s greatest hits.

7:00 – The polls have closed.

6:58 – We’re ready to go in the studio as Jim finishes his last supper hour broadcast.