Makivvik calls for investigation after some in Nunavik don’t get to vote

Makivvik is calling for an investigation into why some voters in Nunavik were not able to vote Monday in the federal election.

Polling stations did not open at all in Ivujivik and Akulivik, according to their mayors, while other communities such as Puvirnituq, Quaqtaq, Umiujaq, Salluit and Tasiujaq saw voting for as little as two hours. The scheduled voting hours in these communities was 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

“Makivvik is deeply disappointed by the handling of the voting process in Nunavik by Elections Canada,” a news release issued Tuesday by the Inuit land-claims organization said.

“This is unacceptable in 2025.”

The problems resulted in Nunavimmiut being “effectively denied their right to participate” in the election, the release said.

Makivvik is calling on Elections Canada to investigate what happened and “ensure that every Inuk in Nunavik has equal access to voting in future elections.”

“If something went wrong, Elections Canada will follow up,” said Serge Fleyfel, spokesperson for Elections Canada, in a phone interview Tuesday.

Fleyfel said Elections Canada has “multiple strategies” to offer voting in communities where it’s not possible to recruit local teams. Travelling poll staff were scheduled to run polling stations in Akulivik, Kangirsuk, Puvirnituq, Quaqtaq, Inujivik, Umiujaq, Salluit, Tasiujaq and Kangiqsujuaq.

Weather conditions Monday prevented access to some of these communities Monday, Fleyfel said.

Stephen Grasser, a regional councillor for Salluit, told Nunatsiaq News on Monday that polls there closed suddenly at 2:30 p.m. because electoral staff needed to catch a flight out.

Despite these problems, a winner was declared for the Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou riding.

Liberal Mandy Gull-Masty earned 12,578 votes, ousting incumbent Bloc Québécois’s Sylvie Bérubé (10,381 votes), by a margin of 2,197 votes. Conservative Steve Corriveau garnered 6,581 votes and NDP’s Thai Higashihara received 752 votes.

There are a total of 65,833 registered voters in the riding.

It’s unclear how many people of voting age reside in the seven Nunavik communities where the opportunity to vote was limited. But the total population across these communities, according to the 2021 census, is 5,704.