2011 by-election guide to nunavut elections act

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2011 By-Election Guide to

Nunavut Elections Act



Printed by Elections Nunavut 2011.

For information or to obtaincopies in any of Nunavut ‛ s of cial

languages, in paper or electronicformat contact:

Elections Nunavut

Box 39, 43 Sivulliq Ave.

Rankin Inlet, NU

X0C 0G0

800.267.4394800.269.1125

www.elections.nu.ca

[email protected]



Table of Contents

1) Introduction ..................................... 1Common Election Words ................................... 2

2) Election Basics ................................. 10

What is the Nunavut Elections Act ? .................... 10

What is a constituency? ................................. 10

What is a general election? ............................. 11

What is a by-election? .................................. 11

Where do people go to vote?............................ 11

3) Elections Nunavut ..............................12

Who is the Chief Electoral Of cer? What does shedo? ........................................................ 12

Who are the election of cers? ......................... 13

What do Returning Of cers and Assistant ReturningOf cers do? .............................................. 14

What do Deputy Returning Of cers and Poll Clerksdo?.. ...................................................... 14

What do Registration Clerks do? ....................... 15

4) The Election Period .......................16What is the election period? ............................ 16



5) Candidates ......................................19Who is a candidate? ..................................... 19

Who can be a candidate? ................................ 19

How does a person become a candidate? ............... 20

How do candidates get money for their campaign? .... 21

6) Voters ........................................... 23Who can vote? ........................................... 23

What does ‘Nunavut resident ‛ mean in the Nunavut Elections Act ? ........................................... 23

7) Voter Registration .............................. 24

8) The Voters List ................................26What is the voters list? ................................. 26

What is the Voter Information Card? .................. 26

What is the nal voters list? ........................... 27

9) Voting ........................................... 28

10) Ways to vote ..................................29Vote at the polling station in your community onElections Day ............................................. 29

Vote at the Returning Of cer ‛ s of ce ................. 30

Vote by special mail-in ballot ........................... 30



Vote with the mobile poll ................................ 30

Vote by proxy ............................................ 31

Vote by radio or satellite phone ........................ 31

What if a voter needs help? What if a voter can ‛ tread? ...................................................... 32

What if a voter has a physical disability and can ‛ t getinside the polling station? ............................... 32

What if a voter needs an interpreter? ................. 32

Important rules during voting ........................... 33

11) Who won the election? .......................35How do we count the ballots? ........................... 35

How do we know who won the election? ................ 36

12) Breaking Nunavut Elections Act Laws .......37What are the main ways to break the law? ........... 37

Who can complain about a possible election crime? .. 38

Who investigates a complaint? ......................... 38



2011 By-election Guide to the Nunavut Elections Act 1

1) IntroductionThis Guide gives basic information about theNunavut Elections Act – Nunavut’s laws forterritorial elections and by-elections. Please read the Act if you wantto know the exact laws. This Guide does not replace the Act.

Please contact Elections Nunavut for more information about votingor how to become a candidate in a general election or by-election .

Chief Electoral Of cerBox 39, 43 Sivulliq Ave.Rankin Inlet, Nunavut X0C0G0

1.800.267.4394

1.800.269.1125

[email protected]

www.elections.nu.ca




Common Election Words

Acclamation: A candidate wins by acclamation when they’re theonly candidate in their constituency. Nobody votes.

Advance vote: A way to vote before Election Day. You vote atthe polling station, 7 days before Election Day, any time from12pm to 7pm.

Af rm: A formal, legal promise that something is true; a promise

to do something; the most serious promise a person can make.If you break this promise it’s the same as breaking the law.Similar to declaration, oath, or swear.

Assistant Returning Of cer (ARO): The Returning O ffi cer(RO) hires one or more AROs for their constituency. The AROcan accept declarations of candidacy and helps the RO with allother work during the election period.

Ballot: The offi cial paper we use to mark our vote. It lists thecandidates’ names in alphabetical order.

By-Election: An election in only one constituency. It happensaf er a general election when the MLA’s seat becomes vacantfor some reason.

Campaign: The advertising, signs, but

ons, speeches, and otherthings a candidate uses to make people want to vote for them.




Campaign manager: The person who coordinates and looks a f era candidate’s campaign. The candidate appoints the campaign

manager.Campaign material: Any ads, signs, bu t ons, banners, posters,

and other things in favour of one candidate, or againstother candidates. Ads may be on radio, TV, Internet, and innewspapers.

Candidate: An eligible voter who wants to be a Member of theLegislative Assembly (MLA), and who les a declaration ofcandidacy that Elections Nunavut accepts.

Chief Electoral Of cer (CEO): The CEO is in charge ofElections Nunavut. The Commissioner of Nunavut appointsthis person to oversee the Nunavut Elections Act . ElectionsNunavut is all the people responsible to organize and carryout territorial elections.

Close of candidacy: 2pm local time, 31 days before Election Day.

Constituency: A geographic area and the people who livethere. Nunavut has 19 constituencies. The people in eachconstituency elect a Member of the Legislative Assembly.

Contribution: Any money, goods, or services a person or businessgives to help elect a candidate.

Counterfoil: The extra tab on a ballot. The Deputy ReturningOffi cer rips it o ff just before the ballot goes in the ballot box.




Declaration: A formal or legal statement a person makes to saysomething is true or they intend to do something. If you break

this promise it’s the same as breaking the law. Declaration issimilar to a ffi rm, oath, or swear.

Declaration of candidacy: The form a person lls out to saythey want to be a candidate - they want a chance to be electedas a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). They must be eligible and give a $200 deposit. The nancial agent mustalso sign this document.

Deputy Returning Of cer (DRO): The election o ffi cer in chargeof a polling station. A DRO makes sure voters and candidatesfollow the law in the polling station. They give out the ballotsand count them.

Elect: To choose a person by voting. During a territorial electionwe elect our Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).

Election: The election of members to the Nunavut LegislativeAssembly. In a territorial election voters mark a secret ballotto choose a candidate to be a Member of the LegislativeAssembly (MLA). This Guide does not apply to otherelections, like municipal elections or elections to Inuitorganizations.

Election expense: Any money paid or owed during an electionperiod, as part of a candidate’s campaign. Includes any goodsand services people contribute, and any costs of the nancialagent and campaign manager.




Elections Nunavut: The offi ce and sta ff of the Chief ElectoralOffi cer. These people run and organize territorial elections.

Election Of cer: A person who helps to run a territorial election.Election O ffi cers include Returning O ffi cers, AssistantReturning O ffi cers, Deputy Returning O ffi cers, Poll Clerks,and Registration Clerks.

Election period: A 35-day period that starts with the writ andends with Election Day; the o ffi cial time for the election.

Election report: The election report shows how many votes eachcandidate got. The Returning O ffi cer (RO) lls it out a f erthey review the Election Day statements of the poll. The ROcan delay the election report for up to two weeks a f er ElectionDay, if needed.

Emergency method: A way to vote by radio or satellite phoneif you’re in a remote place and meet three strict conditions:1) you can’t get to a polling station on Election Day; 2) you

can’t communicate any other way; 3) you had no other way tovote before you went to the remote place. You must contactElections Nunavut to organize to vote this way.

Final voters list: This list includes all the voters that were onthe list when the election started, plus those who registeredduring the election period. It comes out a f er Election Day.

Financial agent: The person who handles all the money for acandidate’s campaign. The nancial agent takes contributions,pays all the expenses, and helps the candidate make a nancial report a f er the election. The candidate appoints the nancial agent; they both sign the declaration of candidacy.




Nunavut Elections Act: The laws that Nunavummiut use toorganize and run a territorial election.

Oath: A formal, legal promise that something is true; a promise todo something. Election o ffi cers take an oath to be impartialin their job; elected candidates take an oath as MLAs. Oath issimilar to a ffi rm, declaration, or swear.

Poll Clerk: An election o ffi cer who works at a polling station withthe Deputy Returning O ffi cer. Poll Clerks look a f er thepolling record.

Polling record: A list of everyone who voted at a polling station,any changes to the voters list, and notes about everything thathappens during voting.

Polling station: The place we go to vote.

Pre-election expense: A campaign expense that the candidate

pays for during the pre-election period.

Pre-election period: Starts the day the Commissioner publiclyannounces the date of the next election; ends the day the CEOissues the writ.

Proxy vote: A voter gets another voter to vote for them. Youapply to the Returning O ffi cer to get a proxy certi cate. Youcan only vote by proxy if: 1) You are on the voters list; 2)You’re suddenly called away from your community; 3) Youcan’t vote any other way.

RENU: An electronic voters list for Nunavut; stands for Registerfor Elections in NU navut.




Returning Of cer (RO): The election o ffi cer in charge of a

constituency. ROs appoint Assistant Returning O ffi cers,Deputy Returning O ffi cers, Poll Clerks, and RegistrationClerks for each poll. ROs oversee everything about theelection in their constituency.

Special ballot: A way to vote by mail if you’re away at school, onvacation, in hospital, at a treatment centre, or in jail. Othervoters can use a special ballot if they need or want to. Votersmust apply to Elections Nunavut to get a special ballot. They

receive a package, follow the directions, and mail the ballot back in a special envelope.

Stub: The part of the ballot that has the ballot number. A DeputyReturning O ffi cer removes the stub before the ballot goes inthe ballot box.

Swear: A formal, religious promise that something is true; a

promise to do something; the most serious promise youcan make. If you break this promise it’s like breaking thelaw. A person gives their word and swears on the Bible thatsomething is true. Swear is similar to a ffi rm, declaration, oroath.

Vote: Voters mark a secret ballot in a territorial election. Theychoose the candidate in their constituency that they want toelect as their Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA).

Voters list: The list of voters that Elections Nunavut prepares foreach constituency. They send a copy to each candidate whenthe election starts, and update it 20 days before Election Day.




Voting in the of ce of the Returning Of cer: A way tovote before election day. You vote at the Returning O ffi cer’s

offi

ce, from 14 days before election day to 4 days beforeelection day. 12-7 pm

Writ: The offi cial notice to say there is an election. The ChiefElectoral O ffi cer (CEO) sends it to each Returning O ffi cer(RO). Each RO posts the writ in their o ffi ce.

The return of the writ is the backside of the writ. Itshows who won the election. The RO lls it out and sendsit to the CEO a f er Election Day. If a candidate wins by

acclamation the RO lls out the return of the writ right away.




2) Election Basics

What is the Nunavut Elections Act ?

The Nunavut Elections Act is the law we follow to elect Members ofthe Legislative Assembly (MLAs). Nunavummiut have the right tovote and help decide who forms the territorial government.

The principles of the Nunavut Elections Act are to:

Encourage people to vote.

Make it easy for voters to vote if they want to.

Remove barriers for people who want to be candidates.

Help the public be more aware of elections.

Write public information in all Nunavut’s o ffi ciallanguages.

Cooperate with others - such as people who run otherelections in Nunavut - to share information, learn, trainstaff people, and deliver be t er election services.

Run an e ff ective, e ffi cient election.

Respect the geography, languages, and other unique thingsabout Nunavut.

Evaluate the election process and make sure it meets theneeds of Nunavummiut.

What is a constituency?A constituency is a geographic area and the people who live there.Nunavut is divided into 19 constituencies. See the constituencymap at the front of this Guide. Voters in each constituency elect oneMember of the Legislative Assembly (MLA).




What is a general election?

A general election is when Nunavummiut voters elect 19 Membersof the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). The MLAs form theGovernment of Nunavut and make laws.

We have a general election every four to ve years to elect an MLAin each constituency. All eligible Nunavummiut voters can vote in ageneral election.

What is a by-election?

A by-election is when an MLA leaves their job before the nextgeneral election. The eligible voters in that constituency elect a newmember for the constituency. ONLY voters in that constituency canvote in a by-election.

Where do people go to vote?

Nunavummiut go to a polling station to vote. Each community hasat least one. Larger communities may have two or more polling

stations in the same building. Look for an Elections Nunavut sign onthe outside o f he building.




3) Elections NunavutThe Nunavut Elections Act is the law we follow toelect Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). Nunavummiuthave the right to vote and help decide who forms the territorialgovernment.

The principles of the Nunavut Elections Act are to:Organize everything for candidates and voters.Follow the Nunavut Elections Act .Make sure that everyone has a chance to participate andvote.Make sure that the election is fair.

Elections Nunavut includes:

Chief Electoral O ffi cer (CEO) and her sta ff people inRankin Inlet.

Elections O ffi cers

Who is the Chief Electoral Of cer? What doesshe do?

Sandy Kusugak is the Chief Electoral O ffi cer now. She has an o ffi ceand sta ff in Rankin Inlet. The Chief Electoral O ffi cer is the boss. Shelooks a f er everything about Nunavut’s elections. She makes sureeveryone follows the Nunavut Elections Act .

The Commissioner of Nunavut appoints the Chief Electoral O ffi cer.The Legislative Assembly recommends who the Commissionershould appoint. Each Chief Electoral O ffi cer has their job for sevenyears and the Commissioner can appoint the same person again.




Who are the election of cers?

Election offi

cers are people who work for Elections Nunavut duringan election. They include:Returning O ffi cers and Assistant Returning O ffi cers.Deputy Returning O ffi cers and Poll Clerks.Registration Clerks.

You have to be an eligible voter to be Returning O ffi cer, AssistantReturning O ffi cer, or Deputy Returning O ffi cer. You do not have to be an eligible voter to be a Poll Clerk or Registration Clerk.

Election o ffi cers need to have certain characteristics to do their job:Be impartial and fair; voters and candidates need to beable to trust them.Treat all candidates and voters the same, and not showthey like one candidate be t er than another.Respect election laws and the rights of voters andcandidates.Not give money, goods, or services to any candidate’scampaign.

A person can’t be an elections o ffi cer if they are: A candidate, nancial agent, or campaign manager. An MLA or a member of the last Legislative Assembly. A member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada. A member of the House of Commons or Senate. An MLA in another territory or a province. A mayor or municipal councillor. A judge.

A convicted criminal under any elections law inCanada or under the Criminal Code of Canada for acrime related to elections.




What do Returning Of cers and AssistantReturning Of cers do?

The Chief Electoral O ffi cer appoints 19 Returning O ffi cers - one foreach constituency. The Returning O ffi cer (RO) is in charge of theirconstituency. They organize everything for voters and candidates inthe constituency.

Each RO appoints an Assistant (ARO). They can’t appoint a familymember. The RO and ARO have an o ffi ce in one community in theconstituency.

If a constituency has more than one community the RO appoints anARO for the separate community. That ARO organizes things forvoters and candidates in that community.

The ARO acts as the Deputy Returning O ffi cer for the mobile polland advance vote. At the Election Day poll they oversee voterregistration and voting.

What do Deputy Returning Of

cers and PollClerks do?

The Deputy Returning O ffi cer runs the polling station - the placepeople vote. The Returning O ffi cer appoints the Deputy ReturningOffi cers for their constituency.On Election Day each polling station has a Deputy Returning O ffi cer(DRO) and Poll Clerk. The DRO handles the ballots. They makesure everyone follows the laws. They help make sure the election isfair and that eligible voters have a chance to vote.

The Poll Clerk looks a f er the polling record - the list of everyonewho votes.




4) The Election

PeriodWhat is the election period?

The election period starts 35 days before Election Day and ends onElection Day. During the election period certain things must happenon certain days. Voters, candidates, and election o ffi cers must followthe laws and meet some strict deadlines.

See the election period calendar on the next page.

The election period starts with the writ. The writ is the o ffi cial paperthat says there will be an election. It shows the date the electionperiod starts, Election Day, and the date for the return of the writ.

The Chief Electoral O ffi cer (CEO) sends the writ to the ReturningOffi cer (RO), who posts it in their o ffi ce. At the end of the electionperiod the RO completes the return of the writ and sends it to theCEO. The return of the writ shows who won the election.

During the election period candidates put up signs, give speeches,and do other things to convince people to vote for them.




Election Period Calendar

ImportantDays What happens on that day?

Sept. 12, 2011 No campaign ads or speeches on TV, radio,Internet, newspaper.

Sept. 12, 2011 Election Day. Polling stations open 10 am to 8pm.

Sept. 12, 2011 3 pm local time: deadline for voters to apply for a

proxy certi cate.

Sept. 12, 2011 Elections Nunavut must receive all special ballots by 5 pm or the votes don’t count.

Sept. 22, 2011 Candidates must remove all campaign materials.

Nov. 14, 2011 Candidates and nancial agents must completeand le the campaign nancial return.




5) Candidates

Who is a candidate?

A candidate is a person who wants to be elected as a Member of theLegislative Assembly (MLA). Each constituency usually has two ormore candidates. The candidate who gets the most votes wins.

If a constituency has only one candidate people don’t vote. Thecandidate wins by acclamation.

Who can be a candidate?

You can be a candidate if you are:An eligible voter. See the section about voters for details.Not disquali ed.

You can be a candidate for any constituency in Nunavut. You can live

in one constituency and be the candidate in a diff

erent constituency.You do not have to be a resident in the constituency where you are acandidate.

You are disquali ed if - on the day you le the declaration ofcandidacy – you:

Are a member of the House of Commons, Senate, orlegislature of another territory or province.Are a judge, except in a citizenship court.

Work for Elections Nunavut.Work for the Government of Nunavut and the Public ServiceAct says you can’t.Don’t live in Nunavut.Were a candidate or nancial agent in the last election anddidn’t le your campaign nancial return on time.Failed to comply with a compliance agreement in a previouselection.




An MLA may leave their seat because they’re charged with orconvicted of a crime under Nunavut or Canadian laws. They can bea candidate again only a f er 5 years.

Candidates use bu t ons, brochures, signs, ads on TV and radio,speeches, and special events to encourage voters to vote for them.They travel to the communities in their constituency to meet andtalk to voters.

How does a person become a candidate?

To become a candidate a person lls out the declaration of candidacyform and pay a $200 deposit.

To ll out a declaration of candidacy a person needs:A nancial agent – someone who will sign and swear tolook a f er all the money ma t ers for your campaign. Eachcandidate must have a nancial agent.Witnesses for signatures.A campaign manager, if you want one - someone to

coordinate your campaign. A candidate doesn’t have tohave a campaign manager, but it’s usually a good idea.

People must le their declaration of candidacy with the ReturningOffi cer. The rst day you can le is 35 days before Election Day. Thelast day to le is 31 days before Election Day. When they le, theypay the $200 deposit.

They may also provide a digital photo if they want. ElectionsNunavut uses the photos to make a poster that shows all thecandidates. The Deputy Returning O ffi cer puts up the poster at thepolling station to help people know who they’re voting for.




How do candidates get money for their campaign?

It takes money to run a campaign. The Nunavut Elections Act hasrules about who can contribute to a campaign, and how much theycan contribute.

Who can contribute to a campaign?Any person who lives in Nunavut.Any company that does business in Nunavut.Any organization that works in Nunavut.

How much can they contribute to a campaign?A person, business, or organization can give up to $2500 toeach candidate in each election. An organization has to listthe people who give money for their contribution.A person, business, or organization must give their nameand address, unless they contribute less than $100. If theycontribute less than $100 they can choose to give theirname or not.A person, business, or organization has the right to get a

tax receipt for their contribution - so long as they give theirname. If you make a contribution and give your name askfor a tax receipt.

How much can the candidate contribute?A candidate can use up to $30,000 of their own money.A candidate can get a tax receipt for the amount theycontribute to a maximum of $2500. If they contributemore than $2500 they get a tax receipt for $2500. If they

contribute less than $2500 they get a tax receipt for theamount they contribute.

The Nunavut Elections Act has other rules about contributions:Total campaign contributions can’t be more than $30,000.This includes all contributions from the candidate and thepeople, businesses, and organizations that contribute.




People can contribute only during the election period -from 35 days before Election Day to Election Day.

People contribute only to an o ffi cial candidate’s campaign.The money belongs to the campaign, not to the candidateor nancial agent.People give money only to the candidate’s nancial agentor someone they authorize, not to the candidate. If youwrite a cheque you need to make it out to: ‘The campaignto elect __________ ‘.




6) VotersWho can vote?You’re eligible to vote if you are:

A Canadian citizen.18 years or older on Election Day.A Nunavut resident for at least one year on Election Day.By-election only includes: A resident in the constituencywhen the CEO issues the writ - August 8, 2011.

You’re not eligible to vote if you:Have a court order that says you don’t understand youractions - you can’t decide things for yourself. ORBroke the laws under the Criminal Code and you‘re in aplace for people with mental illness. ORBroke an election law somewhere in Canada in the last veyears and were convicted.

What does ‘Nunavut resident ‛ mean in theNunavut Elections Act ?

The Nunavut Elections Act says if you’re away at school, in hospital,or in jail you can vote if you still call Nunavut your home. You votefor a candidate in the constituency you call home.

Voters that move to a di ff erent community in the same constituencyvote in their new home community. Voters that move outsideNunavut for a permanent job are not residents.

Each voter can only vote once. If a voter has two homes in di ff erentplaces they vote where they live more than six months of the year.




If you need to show ID you must provide:One piece of ID that shows your name, current address,and signature.Examples:

Driver's licence.Vehicle registration.Government of Nunavut General ID Card.

OR

Two pieces of ID: One that shows your name and signature

and one that shows your name and address.Examples of ID with your name and signature:

Enrolment card - Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.Health insurance card.Passport.Citizenship card.Old age security card.Social insurance card.Bank card or credit card.Library card.Student card.

Examples of ID that shows your name and address:Phone or other bill.Car insurance.Magazine or other mail with a label.




8) The Voters List

What is the voters list?

Elections Nunavut makes a list of all Nunavummiut who have theright to vote. It is a list of all registered voters. The voters list hasyour name, mailing address, and civic address - your house and lotnumber.

Elections Nunavut uses the voters list to keep track of who voted

during an election. They only use the voters list during electionsand keep the information very safe. No one uses the voters list for jury duty.

Elections Nunavut sends a voters list to each constituency. TheReturning O ffi cer has the voters list for their constituency at theiroffi ce. Voters need to check the list to see if their name is on it andtheir address is correct.

What is the Voter Information Card?

All voters on the preliminary voters list get a Voter InformationCard. This card shows:

Your name and address.Your constituency.Where and when to vote on Election Day.Where and when to vote in the advance vote.

Other ways to vote if you can’t vote on Election Day.A toll-free phone number to call for more information.




It’s very important that voters check their Voter Information Cardto see if the information is correct. Call the Returning O ffi cer orElections Nunavut to change the information.

Keep the Voter Information Card and take it with you when you goto vote. It makes voting much easier and faster.

Mailing Label

What is the nal voters list?

The nal voters list is the o ffi cial voters list plus the names of peoplewho register when they go to vote. The nal voters list also has anyother changes that election o ffi cers made during voting.




9) VotingVoters make a choice when they vote.They mark an X beside the name of the candidate they wantto be the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for theirconstituency.

An MLA represents all the people in the constituency. Each vote isimportant. No one can force a person to vote. People have the rightto vote and it is their choice to vote or not to vote. It is their choicehow they vote.

Voting is secret. Voters don’t need to tell anyone how they voted.No one should ask another person who they voted for.

If needed, people that work all the hours the polling station is openhave the right to have two hours o ff work to vote on Election Day.The employer chooses the time. Voters that work from 9 am to 5 pmdon’t get time o ff work to vote.




10) Ways to voteEach voter can vote only once in a territorialelection. Nunavummiut have many di ff erent ways to vote. Everyvoter who wants to vote can choose a way to vote that suits them.

Vote at the polling station on Election Day.Vote at the Returning O ffi cer’s offi ce.Vote by special mail-in ballot.Vote with the mobile poll.

Voters have other ways to vote if they meet certain strict conditionsand nd at the last minute that they can’t vote any other way.

Vote by proxy.Vote by radio or satellite phone.

Vote at the polling station in your community onElection Day

An Assistant Returning O ffi cer (ARO) oversees voter registration

and voting. A Deputy Returning Offi

cer (DRO) and Poll Clerk (PC)run the polling station.

Voters go to the DRO and PC and give their name. If they have aVoter Information Card they give that. The PC looks for the voter’sname on the voters list. If the name is on the list the PC crosses it o ff .If the name isn’t on the list the voter can register.

The DRO gives the voter a folded ballot. With the ballot the voter:Goes to the voting compartment and unfolds the ballot.This keeps the vote secret.Finds the name of the candidate they want to vote for andmarks ‘X’ in the circle beside the name.Folds the ballot the same way they got it and takes it backto the DRO. The DRO tears o ff the extra tab called thecounterfoil. They give the voter the ballot.Puts their ballot in the ballot box. Or the DRO can do it.




Vote at the Returning Of cer ‛ s of ce

Some communities have a Returning Offi

cer’s offi

ce. Voters in thosecommunities can vote there on certain days during the electionperiod. The rst day is 14 days before Election Day; the last day isfour days before Election Day.

Voters vote in the usual way and during o ffi ce hours - noon to 7 pmevery day. If a voter’s name isn’t on the voters list, they can registerwhen they vote.

Vote by special mail-in ballotVoters can vote by special ballot if they’re away at school, inhospital, at a treatment centre, on holidays, or in jail. Other voterscan use a special ballot if they want or need to.

Voters have to apply to get a special ballot. You can get anapplication form by phone, fax, Internet, or in person from theReturning O ffi cer, Assistant RO, or Chief Electoral O ffi cer. If thevoter’s name isn’t on the voters list they can register when theyapply.All applications go to the Elections Nunavut o ffi ce in Rankin Inlet.If they approve the application they send a special ballot kit. The kithas a ballot and instructions how to mail it back. Elections Nunavutmust receive the special ballot before 5 pm local time on ElectionDay. Voters that apply for a special ballot can’t vote any other way. Vote with the mobile poll

The mobile poll is for voters who physically can’t leave their home tovote. The poll comes to the voters. The Returning O ffi cer organizesthe mobile poll and voters should call if they need it.

The mobile poll happens seven days before Election Day in themorning; it nishes by 11:30 am. The Assistant Returning O ffi ceroperates the mobile poll. If a voter’s name isn’t on the voters list,they can register when they vote.




Vote by proxy

A proxy vote is when a voter gets someone else to vote for them.The person who votes for the voter is the proxy voter. The voter’sname and the proxy voter’s name must both be on the constituency’soffi cial voters list. A voter can be a proxy voter only once during anelection.

Voters can vote by proxy ONLY if they meet three conditions:Had to suddenly leave their community.Can not vote on Election Day.

Can not vote any other way.

This is how proxy voting happens:1. The voter asks the RO for an Application for a Proxy

Certi cate and lls it out. The rst day to apply is vedays before Election Day. The last day to apply is 3 pmlocal time on Election Day.

2. The RO sends a certi cate IF they approve the application.The voter and proxy voter ll out the proxy certi cate

when the RO sends it.3. The proxy voter takes the proxy certi cate to the polling

station when they go to vote. They give it to the DRO andtake an oath. They get two ballots - one for their own voteand one for the proxy vote. They mark the proxy vote theway the voter asked them to.

Vote by radio or satellite phone

A voter can vote by radio or satellite phone only if they are in aremote place and meet three conditions:Can’t get to a polling station on Election Day.Can communicate ONLY by radio or SAT phone.Had no other way to vote before going to the remote place.




The Returning O ffi cer receives the call. They must have anotherelection o ffi cer with them. They need to make sure you are who yousay you are. They mark a special ballot for your vote and keep it assecret as possible.

What if a voter needs help? What if a votercan ‛ t read?

The DRO can help voters if they need it. Voters can also bring afriend or relative to help. The person that helps has to promise fourthings:

Mark the ballot where the voter wants.Keep the vote secret.Not tell the voter how to vote.Haven’t helped any other person to vote.

What if a voter has a physical disability and can ‛ tget inside the polling station?

If a voter can’t get inside the polling station the DRO can go outsidethe polling station to let a person vote in a place they can get to. TheDRO shuts down the polling station for a short time. They bring thepoll outside to the place where the voter can vote.

What if a voter needs an interpreter?

Voters can use any o ffi cial language of Nunavut to vote. Elections

Nunavut works hard to appoint election o ffi cers that speak thelanguages people use. But if a voter needs an interpreter the DROmust nd one.




Important rules during voting

Rules everyone must follow at the polling station:Everyone must follow these rules at the polling station:No one can use phones, cameras, two-way radios, or otherrecording or communication devices at the polling station.Everyone must turn o ff their cell phone inside the pollingstation.No one can put any campaign material on the land or building at the polling station.No one can wear, use, or show any campaign bu t ons, ballcaps, T-shirts, or other materials at the polling station.No one can just stand around within 10 metres of thepolling station.

Special rules for voters during votingVoters must just vote and leave. They can’t stay at thepolling station and watch the voting.Every voter can vote only once in an election.

No one can force a voter to say who they voted for. Theirvote is secret.

Special rules for candidates and their representatives

Candidates and their representatives must not broadcast anycampaign ads or speeches on Election Day or the day before.Broadcast includes radio, TV, and Internet.

If a candidate has a website they must take o ff anything thatpromotes the candidate. They can leave things such as where peoplego to vote.




Each candidate can have one representative at a time at each pollingstation, unless the candidate is there. Either a candidate or theirrepresentative can be there, not both. The representative can be any

person the candidate appoints. Each representative must bring aconsent form to the polling station that the candidate or nancialagent signed.

A candidate or their representatives may watch the voting and they:Must always respect and stay out of the way of voters andelection o ffi cers.May take information from the polling record duringvoting and pass it on.

MUST go outside the polling station to make or receivephone calls, send or recieve text messages.May arrive at the polling station 15 minutes before it opens- to watch the election o ffi cers count and initial the ballots;and inspect the ballots and other o ffi cial papers for the poll.May question a voter’s identity, even if the voter’s name ison the voters list. The voter must show their ID and takean oath or a ffi rmation.May watch the Deputy Returning O ffi cer count the ballots.May disagree when the Deputy Returning O ffi cer acceptsor rejects a ballot.




11) Who won the

electionTo nd out who won the election we count all the ballots in eachconstituency:

Ballots from the mobile poll.Special ballots.Ballots from the Returning O ffi cer’s offi ce.Ballots from each polling station on Election Day.

How do we count the ballots?

Each polling station counts their ballots. The Deputy ReturningOffi cer (DRO) is the only person who handles the ballots. ThePoll Clerk keeps count on a tally sheet. Candidates or theirrepresentatives can watch and keep count too. If they aren’t there,two voters need to watch the DRO count the ballots.

The DRO opens the ballot box and dumps the ballots on the table.They open each ballot and show it to everyone. They say how the ballot is marked. They make a separate pile of ballots for eachcandidate and one pile for any rejected ballots.

The DRO has a sheet with examples of rejected ballots. Rejected ballots don’t count because the voter:

Used an uno ffi cial ballot.Made no mark.

Marked the ballot, but it’s not clear who the mark is for.Marked the ballot for someone who isn’t a candidate.Marked the ballot for more than one candidate.Marked the ballot in a way that people can tell who thevoter is.




12) Breaking Nunavut

Elections Act LawsThe Nunavut Elections Act is like any other law. If people break thelaw they can be charged with a crime and punished.

What are the main ways to break the law?

There are many ways to break the law. See some examples in thetable below. Read the Nunavut Elections Act and make sure youfollow the law.

Ways tobreak the law Example 1 Example 2

Vote improperly. You vote and youaren’t eligible to vote.

You do things youshouldn’t do with ballots.

In uence votersimproperly.

You bribe a voter withmoney, liquor, food, a job, or other things.

You sell or give awayliquor on Election Day.

Use informationimproperly.

You use the voters listfor something besidesthe election.

You damage ElectionsNunavut notices.

Tell lies or cheat.You’re a candidate or nancial agent andyou aren’t eligible.

You’re a candidatein more than oneconstituency.

Use moneyimproperly.

Your campaignexpenses are morethan $30,000.

A candidate usescampaign money forpersonal expenses.




Who can complain about a possible election crime?

Any person who believes someone broke the law in the NunavutElections Act can complain. They must go to the police, NOT toElections Nunavut or the Chief Electoral O ffi cer.

It’s the same as making a complaint about someone who breaksany other law - people go to the police if someone breaks into theirhouse, steals their truck, or beats up their friend.

People need to go to the police within 90 days of when they knowsomeone broke the law. Put the complaint in writing and send a

copy to the Chief Electoral O ffi cer.

Who investigates a complaint?

The police investigate. They tell the people they’re investigating,unless they think it will hurt their investigation.

The police have the same power and responsibility to enforce theNunavut Elections Act as any other laws of Nunavut and Canada.The police work with the Chief Electoral O ffi cer and the IntegrityCommissioner to solve the problem.

The Integrity Commissioner is an o ffi cer of the Legislative Assemblyand oversees the Integrity Act . The purpose of this Act is to helpmake sure Members of the Legislative Assembly are honest, reliable,and honourable.



Notice to Voters

Ways to Vote

By-Election Monday, Sept. 12, 2011

Special mail-inballot

Apply to Elections Nunavut.Right away after August 8.

Returning

Of cer‛

s Of ce

Voting: Noon to 7 pm.Mon. Aug. 29 to Thur. Sept. 8.

Mobile Poll

Call early to arrange to vote at home.Voting: Mon. Sept. 5 - 9 to 11:30am.

Election DayPolling Station

Monday Sept. 12.Voting: 10am to 8pm

2011 by-election guide to nunavut elections act

Documents