Some Nunavimmiut want more answers from Elections Canada into voting failures in federal election
There were no polls open on election day in 2 villages, 7 others closed early
Days after Elections Canada released its report into what transpired in Nunavik during the federal election, Russ Johnson is still filled with anger and frustration.
“I think we got a bunch of half truths and half acknowledgements,” he said from his Montreal home.
In a report released Thursday, Elections Canada acknowledged a suite of shortcomings that led to polls in half of Nunavik’s 14 villages closing early on election day — and in Akulivik and Ivujivik, there were no voting services that day at all.
Those issues included a plan that lacked meaningful engagement with local communities – which was approved by Elections Canada headquarters — and a failure by the returning officer to complete mandatory community outreach prior to voting day.
But Johnson, who previously lived in Nunavik and volunteered for Liberal MP Mandy Gull-Masty’s campaign in the region, is still seeking answers.
For one, he questions why polling staff were allowed to leave early because of adverse weather conditions despite accommodation having been secured. He also wants to know why that community outreach wasn’t done.
Johnson believes many of the problems that arose are because it’s people down south who are running the operations.
“This all happened because they tried to do everything from Val d’Or, that little pocket at the very bottom of a huge riding that seems to control the whole riding all the time.”
Local engagement
Ivujivik mayor Adamie Kalingo still remembers seeing Elections Canada staff touch down in his community for an hour before they took off again — without any votes.
For him, it’s another case of Nunavimmiut being forgotten.
“We have been trying hard to be understood…. we are taxpayers, even though our numbers are very modest,” he said.
At a regional government meeting earlier this year, Kalingo said he got the chance to meet Elections Canada representatives. He said he felt optimistic, and he hopes this report will lead to better consultation and communication in the future.
“I would like personnel to be ready weeks ahead of time the next time round, with follow ups and constant telephone calls,” he said.
The report also notes that in several locations, voting services were provided exclusively by unilingual French-speaking staff, despite Inuktitut being the first language, followed by English.
Going forward, Elections Canada said it intends to work with each community to recruit and train locals, as they’re the ones who understand the language and the community context.
“This is yet another reason why early and meaningful engagement is so critical, and is why we are committed to ensuring that kind of engagement moving forward,” it said in written responses to CBC News.
Elections Canada points to the work it’s doing under the Indigenous Inclusion Program Pilot, which seeks to reduce barriers to increase civic education and electoral participation and strengthen partnerships with regional authorities.
‘We know that already’
The report lists several recommendations, including for the returning officer to engage more with the community, be more accountable and implement a formal escalation protocol.
It also calls for dedicated teams with knowledge of the realities of Indigenous and northern communities to help returning officers plan and execute elections.
Johnson finds that latter recommendation laughable.
“I don’t need somebody to tell me the obvious,” he said.
What he wants to see is an independent audit.
“It’s pretty hard to be satisfied when the people who demonstrated that incompetence are the ones that are actually leading the report. It just seems like self policing to me,” he said.
Elections Canada said under its charter, the organization has the authority to conduct independent and objective audits and targeted inquiries, which can be completed quicker. In Nunavik’s case, they chose to do an inquiry.
A day after the election, Mandy Gull-Masty, the MP for Abitibi–Baie-James–Nunavik–Eeyou, told CBC News she intended to introduce a bill to Parliament to address some of the shortcomings that may come from the Elections Canada report.
In a statement to CBC News, Gull-Masty said her role is to support her constituents and hold Elections Canada accountable for the changes that need to be made, and this report is “an important first step on that path forward”. She did not provide any comment about the status of any potential bill.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Elections Canada apologizes to Nunavik voters left out of vote, CBC News
