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NWT
Forty seven NWT residents, including nine women and 15 incumbents, have let their names stand for the legislative assembly's 19 seats in the upcoming Oct. 3 territorial election; sixteen of those ridings are contested.

Voters will elect a new territorial government on Oct. 3. The nomination period for candidates officially closed Sept. 9 with 47 people putting their names forward. - photo courtesy of Elections NWT

NWT candidates by riding  DEH CHO - Michael McLeod (I), Michael Nadli  HAY RIVER NORTH - Robert Bouchard, Beatrice Emily Lepine, Roy (Slim) Courtoreille  HAY RIVER SOUTH - Marc Miltenberger (I), Jane Groenewegen  INUVIK BOOT LAKE - Chris Larocque, Paul Voudrach, Alfred Moses, Grant Gowans  INUVIK TWIN LAKES - Robert C. McLeod (I) - Acclaimed  MACKENZIE DELTA - Frederick Blake Jr., Mary Clark, Taig Connell, Glenna Hansen, Eugene A. Pascal  NAHENDEH - Kevin Menicoche (I), Bertha Norwegian  MONFWI - Jackson Lafferty (I), Bertha Rabesca Zoe  NUNAKPUT - Eddie T. Dillon, Jackie Jacobson (I)  SAHTU - Rocky E. Norwegian, Norman Yakeleya (I)  THEBACHA - Peter Martselos, Jeannie Marie-Jewell, J. Michael Miltenberger (I)  TU NEDHE - Tom Beaulieu (I) Acclaimed  FRAME LAKE - Wendy Bisaro (I), Bernard LeBlanc, Duff Spence  GREAT SLAVE - Glen Abernethy (I), Patrick Scott  KAM LAKE - Victor Mercredi, Dave Ramsay, Darwin Rudkevitch, Bryan Sutherland  RANGE LAKE - Daryl Dolynny, Beaton Mackenzie, Norman Smith, David Wasylciw  WELEDEH - Mark Bogan, Bob Bromley (I)  YELLOWKNIFE CENTRE - Arlene Hache, Robert Hawkins (I)  YELLOWKNIFE SOUTH - Bob McLeod (I) Acclaimed

Three incumbents – Robert C. McLeod in Inuvik Twin Lakes, Tom Beaulieu in Tu Nedhe and Bob McLeod in Yellowknife South – went uncontested and were acclaimed for another term.

In 2007 three seats were also won by acclamation, including Michael McLeod in Deh Cho and Norman Yakeleya in the Sahtu.

Premier Floyd Roland's riding of Inuvik Boot Lake, which he won by acclamation in 2003 and 2007, will see four candidates facing off for his newly-vacated seat.

In the Mackenzie Delta five people stepped forward, making David Krutko's former riding the most crowded race, while nine of the NWT's 19 ridings will see just two candidates facing off.

Approximately 19 per cent of candidates are women, which was also the case in 2007 and 2003.

The legislative assembly's two current female MLAs, Jane Groenewegen of Hay River South and Wendy Bisaro of Yellowknife Frame Lake, are both seeking re-election.

Groenewegen will once again square of against Marc Miltenberger; in the 2007 election, Miltenberger nearly unseated Groenewegen following a tight 423 to 384 vote decision.

Bisaro will campaign against Bernard LeBlanc and Duff Spence.

In the Thebacha riding, Michael Miltenberger, who is a favourite to become the next premier, will face a rematch against former Fort Smith mayor Peter Martselos and Jeannie Marie-Jewell, a former MLA and cabinet minister. Miltenberger edged out Martselos by fewer than 100 votes in 2007.

David Brock, the chief electoral officer for Elections NWT, encouraged all eligible voters to take the next three weeks to become informed so they're ready for election day on Oct. 3.

"My advice to voters would be to warmly receive candidates at their door, hear their message and think about who best represents you before casting a ballot," he said. "My message to candidates would be behave honourably. You're representing yourself and all the people who are working hard on your behalf, so you have an obligation to know the law and follow it, and just behave as a respectful person during the campaign period."

Eligible voters have until 1 p.m. on Sept. 14 to add their name to the voters list or change their listed information, such as place of residence.

To do so, you can either call you local returning officer or visit the local elections office.

In the 2007 territorial election, 67 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot.

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