Sixty candidates vie for 19 seats
Nomination period closed Oct. 30 for territorial election to be held Nov. 23
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Monday, November 2, 2015
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
With the federal election and several municipal elections now out of the way, NWT voters can concentrate fully on the territorial election.
The nomination period has now closed and the territory has a slate of 60 candidates running for 19 seats in the legislative assembly in the election on Nov. 23. There were 47 candidates in the 2011 territorial election.
Nominations closed at 2 p.m. on Oct. 30. Candidates had until 5 p.m. on that day to withdraw from the race but none did.
The nomination period followed the dissolution of the 17th assembly on Oct. 25, which was followed by the issuing of writs of election by Chief Elector Officer Nicole Latour.
Returning officers will be available to help voters and candidates during business hours in each of the 19 electoral districts, according to a news release from Elections NWT.
A local community deputy returning officer will be available to act as a liaison between community members and returning officers, the news release stated.
NWT residents have until 1 p.m. on Nov. 5 to update their information or add their name to the register of electors.
Voters can register online or by contacting their returning officer.
Advance polls will be held for one day each from Nov. 16 to 19 but only in communities that do not have a returning officer.
According to Elections NWT, people who want to vote will have to provide sufficient identification to prove identity and place of residence.
Proving your identity through vouching and personal acquaintance is an option when voting at an advance poll, according to Elections NWT.
The person doing the vouching must have proper identification but as long as they do, they can then vouch for up to five people which is a change from the last election where the could only vouch for one person.
NWT residents must be at least 18 years of age and have lived in the NWT for the past 12 months in order to be eligible to vote.
Elections NWT has this year made it easier, particularly in small communities, for voters to cast their ballot at an advance poll, according to Latour.
"Before, it wasn't a level playing field because the outlying communities didn't get an opportunity to cast a ballot in advance, only the people in the larger centres did. It's been introduced to all the communities and it is set at the discretion of the returning officer," said Latour.
"The other benefit is you can vote by acquaintanceship at an advance poll and at the office of the returning officer. This helps address some of the issues of people without ID."
Latour said potential voters have until Nov. 5 to register to vote.
After that the only place they can register is at their poll on election day. Information on locations and times and dates for advance polls and how to register can be found on the Elections NWT website.
Territorial election candidates by riding
Deh Cho
- Ronald Bonnetrouge
- Lyle Fabian
- Michael Nadli
- Gregory Nyuli
Frame Lake
- Roy Erasmus
- Jan Fullerton
- Kevin O'Reilly
- David Wasylciw
Great Slave
- Glen Abernethy
- Chris Clarke
Hay River North
- Robert Bouchard
- Karen Felker
- Rocky (R.J.) Simpson
Hay River South
- Jane Groenewegen
- Wally Schumann
- Brian Willows
Inuvik Boot Lake
- Alfred Moses
- Desmond Z Loreen
Inuvik Twin Lakes
- Jimmy Kalinek
- Robert C. McLeod
Kam Lake
- Dave Ramsay
- Kieron Testart
Mackenzie Delta
- Frederick Blake Jr.
- William Firth
- David Krutko
- Norman Snowshoe
Monfwi
Nahendeh
- Rosemary Gill
- Arnold Hope
- Kevin Menicoche
- Deneze Nakehk'o
- Dennis Nelner
- Randy Sibbeston
- Shane Thompson
Nunakput
- Ethel-Jean Gruben
- Herbert Nakimayak
- Jackie Jacobson
- Robert Kuptana
- John Stuart Jr.
Range Lake
- Caroline Cochrane
- Daryl Dolynny
Sahtu
- Paul Andrew
- Yvonne Doolittle
- Daniel McNeely
- Judy Tutcho
Thebacha
- Don Jaque
- Michael J. Miltenberger
- Louis Sebert
Tu Nedhe-Wilideh
- Tom Beaulieu
- Richard Edjericon
Yellowknife Centre
- Julie Green
- Robert Hawkins
Yellowknife North
- Edwin Castillo
- Ben Nind
- Cory Vanthuyne
- Dan Wong
- Sean Erasmus
Yellowknife South
- Robert R. McLeod
- Samuel Roland
- Nigit'stil Norbert
Source: Elections NWT
