Rankin Inlet (July 23/03) - Voters in the Nanulik constituency will vote to see who will succeed James Arvaluk as MLA.

Arvaluk recently resigned after being found guilty of assault causing bodily harm from a charge dating back to August 2000. He is scheduled to be sentenced in September.

The 45-day election period began on Saturday and the final day for nomination papers will be July 29 at 2 p.m.

Sandy Kusugak, Nunavut's chief electoral officer, said she couldn't say exactly how much the by-election would cost.

"It's hard to say because we're in the process of organizing the general election," she said.

Elections Nunavut has lumped the planning for the byelection and February's general election together.

The collection of the voter lists and the ordering of ballots are things that would have been done anyway, said Kusugak.

"The only identifiable extra costs are 1,000 extra ballots and the assistant and returning officer are here (Rankin) for a couple of days for workshops," she added.

There are also extra costs for the manning of polls on election day.

On average a byelection costs approximately $100,000.

Despite the general election being only five months following the date of the by-election Kusugak said the process is necessary.

"If there is a six- month period before the dissolution of the legislative assembly then legally you must have a byelection," she said.

"The people need to be represented."

To ensure the effectiveness of that representation the byelection has been scheduled so a new member will be in place for the October sitting of the legislative assembly.

Kusugak expects that an election will be necessary because she has heard of a number of people who are interested in the position.

"There are rumours, but unless people sign on the dotted line we have no candidates," she said.

"Talk is there are a number of people interested."

Polls will open 9 a.m. Sept. 2 and close at 8 p.m. Advance polls in both Coral Harbour and Chesterfield Inlet will be held on Aug. 22.