SAHTU
There will be no recount in the Sahtu riding after all. After initially stating the Sahtu would be one of four ridings requiring a judicial recount, Elections NWT now says 163 ballots were not properly entered into the data system.

Once those votes were tallied up, Daniel McNeely's margin of victory was greater than the two-per-cent threshold for a recount. Due to the data-entry glitch, his win was first listed as 12 votes over second place finisher Yvonne Doolittle. But what the agency calls an "official addition" revealed a 29 vote difference between the top two candidates, according to a news release from Elections NWT.

McNeely will be the riding's new MLA, replacing the retired Norman Yakeleya. He garnered 271 votes in the territorial election. Doolittle was only 29 votes behind with 242. Paul Andrew finished third with 229 votes while Judy Tutcho had 175 votes.

McNeely said that he is glad to see the vote over with.

"It's overwhelming. The voters of the Sahtu spoke and I am glad that part is done. I think I won because I live in the area and I see everybody on a daily basis and am in continuous contact with people going in and out of Norman Wells which is the hub of the Sahtu. I'm visual in that area," McNeely said.

"After listening to some of the concerns prior to and during the campaign our platform was built on job creation and economics and cost of living and the social issues that come along with unemployment and how certain projects like the Mackenzie all-weather road

highway can help in assisting some of those downfalls."

McNeely said he is aware that he has his work cut out for him replacing the now-retired Sahtu MLA Norman Yakeleya.

"Public office is challenging to keep everyone satisfied and try your best and I'm hoping to carry on his legacy with a lot of respect in some of the things he tried and some of the unfinished business he encountered toward the end of his term."

Doolittle is a little surprised about how it all worked out with the margin of victory jumping from 12 to 29 votes, but insisted that she is not upset that a recount won't be held.

"It's such a crazy error. It could have switched it around the other way. I guess that's why they call it unofficial," she said. "I would have expected it to be done a little more efficiently. They told me it was human error. There is a lot of opportunity for that with so many polls. I hope they evaluate how that occurred and hopefully fix it for the next time," she said.

Doolittle said she was honoured and humbled to have nearly won.

"I knew it was going to be a really tough vote because I didn't live in the riding officially before the race started, although I don't really know if that worked against me," Doolittle said.

She did not exactly give a ringing endorsement of McNeely.

"Somebody has to win. You don't put yourself out there unless you think you are the best choice. He is going to have a tough job. I feel I was the most energetic and capable person there and I still feel that way. Danny says he's going to work hard and I believe him," she said.

Voter turnout in the Sahtu was just over 47 per cent.

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