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.

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.

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.