NUNAVUT - Joe Otokiak is requesting a recount for the municipal election in Cambridge Bay.

Otokiak filed the request with the hamlet's returning officer on Dec. 16 after losing the mayoral election to Syd Glawson by three votes.

"I've been asked by a number of people in the public, plus 85 to 82 I figured that was pretty close," he said. "Might as well ask for a recount and see what happens."

Just over 37 per cent of eligible voters turned out for the Cambridge Bay election.

"It wasn't the best in the world, but for Cambridge Bay it was a darn good turnout," Glawson said.

Voters in Resolute chose former MLA Ludy Pudluk as mayor.

Pudluk served as MLA for the High Arctic from 1975 until his retirement in 1995.

He said he will be pushing for more training and educational opportunities for Resolute's youth.

"I want those young people to take over when we are gone," he said.

Pudluk said he will also be pushing the federal government to remove old buildings and scrap from the community.

"I would like to get the federal government's attention and say 'you put us here in Resolute Bay for sovereignty and look at all those things you left behind for us and we don't have any money to clean it up'."

Increasing cruise ship traffic in the community means more visitors, which is another reason to clean up, Pudluk said.

Pudluk also said he will work to ensure contracts for building and other jobs in town will be given to local people in the community.

"There are contracts that should be contracted by local people and not only for one company," he said.

Kugluktuk had the lowest turnout rate in the territory, with only eight per cent of eligible voters casting ballots.

Senior administrative officer Derrick Power has been involved in elections in the community for about four years and said he does not know why only eight per cent of residents voted this year.

"It's not normally this low," he said. "This year in particular was very low and I'm not sure why. It was a cold day but nothing people up here aren't used to."

No one ran for mayor in Qikiqtarjuaq, which means the council will either appoint one of the council members or will hold a byelection, according to acting assistant deputy minister of community support Darren Flynn.

If council chooses to hold a byelection, it will have to follow the same 35-day timeframe as the original election, Flynn said.