Premier Tim Houston has called a byelection for the new riding of Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay.

Voters in the western Cape Breton constituency will head to the polls on June 23.

According to Elections Nova Scotia, early voting will begin Wednesday at the returning office on Old Cabot Trail Road in Grand Étang, while candidate nominations must be submitted by June 3.

The riding was officially created earlier this year after the provincial government announced plans for a new “exceptional riding” designed to improve representation for Acadian voters in the region.

The constituency was carved from the existing riding of Inverness.

Nova Scotia already has several other exceptional ridings aimed at protecting minority representation, including Argyle, Clare, Richmond and Preston.

With the addition of Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay, the Nova Scotia Legislature now has 56 seats, up from 55 previously.

The Progressive Conservatives currently hold 42 seats, followed by the NDP with nine, the Liberals with three and one Independent MLA.