Deh Cho - In less than a month, voters will be at the polls electing a new territorial government.

Rita Cazon, the returning officer for the Nahendeh, holds the writ of election after signing it on Sept. 3 to mark the official launch the territorial election. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Chief electoral officer Saundra Arberry signed the writs of election on Sept. 3 officially starting the 28-day general election period. On Monday morning returning officer Rita Cazon signed a writ in Fort Simpson marking the beginning of the campaign period in the Nahendeh district while Phoebe Parent did the same in Fort Providence for the Deh Cho district.

"This is it now. We're on the go," Cazon said.

From now until election day the Oct. 1 things will be very busy, said Cazon from her office in the Nahanni Inn. Candidates interested in running in the election have until Sept. 7 at 2 p.m. to submit their nomination papers, including a $200 fee. They then have between 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. that day to withdrawal their name if they decide not to run.

Cazon said she always cautions candidates to get their applications in early so there is time to make sure everything has been received.

The week of Sept. 3-7 is also important for voters. Revision to the voters list occurs at this time. If electors fail to submit the appropriate form they can still be sworn in at the poll on election day, said Cazon.

In addition to ensuring the candidates follow the proper policies, Cazon also prepares the polling stations for the five other communities in the district.

The Nahendeh contains the largest number of communities out of all the NWT districts, she said; included are Trout Lake, Nahanni Butte, Wrigley, Jean Marie River, Fort Liard and Fort Simpson's three divisions -north, centre and south.

Cazon is in charge of preparing the election supplies for each polling station. Each community also has one person to look after the paperwork if a candidate steps forward and another to look after the voter revision. People will also be employed to oversee the polling stations.

"I just hope it's a good election," she said.

Cazon first got involved in elections in 1976 when she worked as a poll clerk in an Alberta provincial election.

"It's always something I've been interested in, politics," said Cazon.

Since returning to the NWT in 1984 Cazon has run elections on a variety of levels including federal, territorial, municipal and band. For Cazon the most notable territorial election was in 1995 when Jim Antoine was acclaimed. As a result she was invited to go to Yellowknife to work in the election's office.

"That was something else," she said.

Despite that occasion, Cazon said she prefers to have an election rather than an acclamation because it gives the voters a choice.

In Fort Providence, returning officer Phoebe Parent said she's also looking forward to a good election.

This is the second territorial election that Parent has overseen in the role of returning officer. The last election was memorable.

After the ballots were counted Michael McLeod had 318 compared to 305 for Michael Nadli. There was only a difference of 2.8 per cent of the votes.

A gap of fewer than two per cent would have required a recount of the ballots.

"That was a really close vote," she said.

In the last election a total of 630 people voted out of a voters list of 794 in the Deh Cho, a 79.35 per cent voter turnout. Parent said that this year she's hoping for an 85 per cent turnout.

She can be found in her office at the Snowshoe Centre.