Lutsel K'e voted as a community to back their local candidate in the Northwest Territories election on Monday, residents say.
The move, a first for the community of about 320, located 185 kilometres southeast of Yellowknife, was an effort to elect the candidate of their choice, Steve Ellis, as the MLA in the Tu Nedhe district. The vast majority of ballots in the community were marked for Ellis, although official numbers are not yet available.
Resident John Catholique told CBC News that they had hoped the vote in the larger community of Fort Resolution would be split among the other five candidates running.
Voting is a discouraging process for those in small towns, he said.
"Smaller communities have, you know, a disadvantage … population-wise. If you want to put somebody into the legislative assembly, you pretty well have to run one candidate," Catholique said.
"You have a better chance, as [Fort Resolution] would be running four or five, so there's a good chance that there'd be like a split vote and stuff. There's always that possibility, so that's one of the things that we decided to do. Small communities, the way it's set up, it's a disadvantage."
Despite anecdotal reports of high voter turnout in Lutsel K'e, Ellis came in second with 38 per cent of the vote. Tom Beaulieu, a former Fort Resolution town councillor and territorial deputy minister, won the seat with nearly 53 per cent.
Ellis was born in Prince Edward Island, but moved north in 1999. He has most recently worked with the Akaitcho Dene First Nations, based mainly in Lutsel K'e.
Coming in third in Tu Nedhe was Raymond Simon, with six per cent of the vote, followed by incumbent Bobby Villeneuve with less than three per cent. Candidates Andrew Butler and James McPherson rounded out the race with about one per cent of the vote each.
Elections N.W.T. officials unofficially pegged voter turnout across the territory at 66.75 per cent. Nearly 10 per cent of voters, or about 2,200 people, took advantage of advance polls, mobile polls and special ballots before election day.
Catholique said it is difficult for people living outside of their communities, such as college students, to vote in territorial elections. He suggested special polling stations should be set up for such voters to cast a ballot that could be counted in their home districts.
N.W.T Votes 2007 »
- Roland promises 'stronger approach' as N.W.T. premier
- Floyd Roland, the new premier of the Northwest Territories, promised a tougher stance in relations with the federal government shortly after becoming the territory's leader on Wednesday.
- Six voted into N.W.T. cabinet
- Six MLAs in the Northwest Territories were picked by their colleagues Wednesday to join newly-chosen Premier Floyd Roland in forming the newest territorial government.
- Delorey returns to N.W.T. Speaker's chair
- Paul Delorey accepted a second term Tuesday as Speaker of the legislative assembly in the Northwest Territories.
- McMeekin loses bid for N.W.T. vote recount
- A Northwest Territories judge has cleared the way for the territory's newly elected MLAs to select a premier, cabinet and speaker, after denying one election candidate a recount of all ballots cast in the Oct. 1 election.
- Behchoko chief to file complaint over N.W.T. election fax
- The chief of Behchoko, N.W.T., says he will name Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. in a formal complaint to Elections N.W.T. over an anonymous fax sent from the company's mine site on the day of the territory's election.
District Profiles
Northwest Territories
Votes Features
- N.W.T. VOTESOctober 1, 2007
- Find your district and voter information.
