Brent Reaney
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (June 29/05) - From the Northern Store to the post office to the community's day-care centres, Elections Nunavut representatives have been visible lately.

Jean Williamson holds up the voters list she has been asking Rankin Inlet residents to sign for the past two weeks. Elections Nunavut has been making sure Rankin Inlet's registry is as accurate as possible for when the territory re-examines its current elections boundaries in early 2006.

An election is not coming for at least another two years, but last time Nunavut went to the polls in February 2004, no one ran against Tagak Curley in Rankin Inlet North. With no need to vote, some people may not have bothered to register, officials say.

"Rankin is the only constituency that had someone acclaimed, so our stats are somewhat questionable," said Michele Ashby, one of two registration clerks who have been trying to register as many Rankin voters as possible for the past few weeks.

The total of 447 people who registered in Curley's constituency was significantly less than the number in Rankin Inlet south-Whale Cove, currently represented by Levinia Brown.

"We assumed that there was a substantial lack of registrants," said Sandy Kusugak, Nunavut's Chief Electoral Officer. Other constituencies should have accurate numbers.

Because people in Rankin Inlet move across town so frequently, Ashby and partner Jean Williamson updating both Rankin Inlet North and South.

The pair say most seem happy to put their names on the list, but others are wary.

"Often they're nervous about being on jury duty," said Williamson, adding that the names on the list are not used for this purpose.

Special committee

Once up to date, the information will also be used by a special committee scheduled to re-examine all of Nunavut's election boundaries to determine if an area needs more, less, or the same number of MLAs in the next election.

Rankin Inlet and Iqaluit are the only communities with more than one seat in the legislative assembly.

An examination of the electoral boundaries is scheduled to happen every 10 years.

Those not registered can go to the Elections Nunavut office in Rankin Inlet behind the Northern Store. The process takes only a few minutes.