Calls for investigation after some in Nunavik left out of vote due to polling station issues

Tiivi Tulaugak, an 18-year-old resident of Ivujivik, Nunavik’s northernmost community located in Quebec, was eagerly looking forward to casting his first vote in the election. However, his excitement quickly turned into frustration when he discovered that he was among the residents who were unable to vote. Reports have emerged from five Nunavik communities, detailing issues at polling stations, including early closures and some stations not opening at all.

Tulaugak expressed his disappointment, calling the situation “unacceptable” and stating that proper planning and organization should have been in place before the election. The Makivvik Corporation, representing Inuit in Nunavik, has called on Elections Canada to investigate the irregularities. They discovered that polling hours were inconsistent, and some communities were unable to vote altogether.

In a statement, Makivvik demanded that Elections Canada take immediate action to ensure that every Inuk in Nunavik has equal access to voting in future elections. Elections Canada cited weather-related flight disruptions for workers as a reason for the issues but did not confirm the extent of the problem or provide details on closed polling stations.

Former grand chief of the Cree Nation Government, Mandy Gull-Masty, won the seat in the region, narrowly defeating the Bloc. Constitutional and human rights lawyer Julius Grey emphasized the fundamental nature of the right to vote and suggested possible legal recourse for affected individuals.

Grey explained that while being excluded from voting can occur due to various reasons, the threshold for overturning or annulling election results would be demonstrating a significant impact on the outcome. He suggested declaratory relief as a potential remedy to acknowledge errors in serving certain communities.

Associate professor Veldon Coburn highlighted the historical disenfranchisement of Indigenous peoples in electoral politics and called for a post-mortem analysis to prevent similar situations in the future. He emphasized the importance of addressing the harm caused to Indigenous voters and rebuilding trust with Elections Canada.

Coburn stressed the need for proactive measures to anticipate and address barriers to Indigenous participation in elections, especially in the context of reconciliation efforts. He urged Elections Canada to repair any damage to the relationship with affected communities and ensure that similar incidents do not occur in future elections.