"Outrage over polling issues sparks demands for inquiry"
Confounding Voting Hiccups Plague Quebec's Nunavik Region
In the 2025 federal election, voting woes left their marks on numerous communities in Quebec's Nunavik region, with polling stations opening and closing erratically or not at all.
Tiivi Tulaugak, a high school student in Ivujivik, was eager to cast his ballot in his debut federal election. However, his anticipation fizzled when he discovered the polling station was shuttered.
"I was fuming. Disheartened," he shared with our news outlet. "Virtually everyone in Ivujivik was unable to vote."
Tulaugak claimed that on Election Day, he arrived at the polling station in the morning, only to find a whirlwind of confusion.
"I was waiting and inquiring about our voting schedules, and the staff kept responding, 'I'm not sure,'" he explained.
"I kept asking, but they didn't have any answers."
Left hanging until 3:30 p.m., Tulaugak learned from the town's mayor that the election employees had allegedly arrived in Ivujivik and then promptly scampered off without casting any ballots.
"This is unjust," he said. "They stole our votes, which is unlawful."
‘Our Region Shouldn't Be Discarded as Second-tier’
The Kativik Regional Government's chairperson, Hilda Snowball, voiced her concerns in a statement to our news outlet, confirming that numerous residents in the surrounding Nunavik region were barred from voting.
"I was shocked and overwhelmed by the news regarding the early closure of polling stations," part of the statement reads. "I was outraged to learn that some were not open at all. This only underscores continuous challenges we've conveyed to our governmental partners."
Snowball pledged to interact with Elections Canada to conclude arrangements that prevent this from happening again.
The Makivik Corporation, the organization responsible for Inuit representation in Nunavik, is calling for Elections Canada to investigate the mishandling of the voting process in Nunavik.
"Makivik is profoundly disheartened by the mismanagement of the voting process in Nunavik by Elections Canada. We've discovered inconsistent polling hours across numerous communities, and shockingly, that some communities were unable to vote at all," a statement on their website reads.
"In numerous instances, Nunavimmiut were effectively denied their opportunity to participate in this election."
Staffing Snafus on Election Day: Source
Elections Canada Chief Electoral Officer Stephane Perrault "deeply regrets that some electors in Nunavik were unable to vote," according to a statement made to our news outlet on Wednesday.
"Elections Canada will scrutinize the factors that led to this predicament, along with the measures implemented during this election to enhance voting services for Indigenous electors. We will publish the findings."
On Election Night, a source within Elections Canada explained that staffing difficulties at polling stations in the Abitibi-Baie-James-Nunavik-Eeyou riding were attributable to a conglomeration of factors.
In certain communities, Elections Canada struggled to recruit workers, despite extensive efforts, while extending materials to remote communities became impossible due to weather conditions in others.
The source also reported that some communities had the option to cast ballots during the advanced poll weekend.
Liberal Mandy Gull-Masty triumphed over incumbent Sylvie Berube, the Bloc Quebecois representative, in the Abitibi-Baie-James-Nunavik-Eeyou riding.
‘A Cultural Shift Is Necessary’
Despite a more than 68% voter turnout nationwide, ballot counts in Canada's northern and remote areas fell well below the national average.
In the Churchill-Keewatinook Aski region of northern Manitoba, for example, only 43% of eligible voters turned out to vote.
Sean Carleton, a professor of history and Indigenous studies at the University of Manitoba, asserts that those residing in northern and remote regions face a multitude of barriers when it comes to casting ballots.
"Inuit individuals have long experienced uneven accessibility to vote. Excessive measures are necessary to guarantee that everyone desiring to cast their vote is able to do so," he says. "We must learn from these problems."
Tulaugak echoed this sentiment. He believes that incidents like these should not have taken place.
"Next time they are arranging the election in the north, they should properly prepare," he says.
"This was unacceptable. It's an unfair election."
This report includes contributions from Rachel Aiello, National Correspondent for our news outlet
Insights:
- Accessibility Challenges: Indigenous and remote communities face barriers when trying to vote, necessitating extraordinary measures to ensure accessibility.
- Logistical Challenges: Geographical isolation and uncertain weather conditions in the north create complex logistical hurdles for conducting elections, including staffing and material delivery.
- Communication Breakdown: Clear and timely communication about polling station hours and any changes is vital to ensuring a smooth voting process, particularly in remote communities.
- Adaptable Voting Systems: Alternative voting methods, such as mail-in ballots or electronic voting, may help address some issues related to remote locations and weather conditions.
- Systemic Barriers: Addressing systemic barriers and perceptions of the electoral process in Indigenous and remote communities is essential for increasing voter participation.
Tulaugak, a Quebecois from Ivujivik, expressed his dissatisfaction after being prevented from voting due to polling station closure on Election Day.The Kativik Regional Government's chairperson, Hilda Snowball, condemned the shuttering of polling stations across the Nunavik region, questioning the region's status in policy-and-legislation and politics.Makivik Corporation urged Elections Canada to investigate the mishandling of the voting process in Nunavik, accusing it of denying Nunavimmiut their chance to participate in the election.Stephane Perrault, Elections Canada's Chief Electoral Officer, regretted the inability of some Nunavik electors to vote and promised an examination of the contributing factors and implemented measures.
