Philippe Morin/Chris Windeyer
Northern News Services
Monday, February 12, 2007

IQALUIT - Residents of small Northern communities might need photo identification to vote in future federal elections, and the proposed legislation has Northern MPs on different sides of the fence.

The federal government is debating a change to the electoral law, which would require photo ID or recognition by a chief electoral officer for all voters. A vote on the matter is to be held in Ottawa this week.

Nunavut MP Nancy Karetak-Lindell supports the bill, known as Bill C-31, because she said it will help to crack down on possible electoral fraud.

Yet she acknowledged the legislation could be perceived as another hardship for Northerners.

Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington said he's opposed to the bill. Most people in big cities have photo ID, he said, but it's less common in isolated regions.

Furthermore, since there is only one chief electoral officer per riding, those without ID would need to mail or fax two proofs of residence and await a reply, said Bevington. He said this might cause people to be turned away on election day.

"Let's say you don't know if you're on the voting list and you show up. You might not be able to vote, even if the people there recognize you from birth," he said.

"People need to realize the mess this could create in the voting system."

Bevington said the current system of statutory declaration - whereby an official town witness such as a mayor or electoral officer could assert someone's identity on the day of the vote - doesn't need to be changed.

"We don't find this law was well thought out or necessary," he said of the looming changes.

Karetak-Lindell said she didn't agree with the way Bevington has characterized some Northern residents.

She said she didn't like his assertion that "aboriginal people and older people who live a simple life" may have trouble providing identification at the polls.

"I take offence at that because we're always being typecast as people who just can't take care of their own affairs," Karetak-Lindell said.

A bigger problem for elders, she said, is the lack of forms and paperwork in Inuktitut.

"The elders are probably the best keepers of paperwork," she said.

Many young people are the ones who lack supporting documents, Karetak-Lindell contended, noting her office often sees young people without even birth certificates.

Since identification is now a necessity for modern life, Karetak-Lindell suggests the government make available resources so her office can team up with Nunavut MLAs to ensure Nunavummiut have access to help filling out paperwork.