6 candidates face off in Aggu riding’s second election
Voters to head to the polls again on Dec. 15 after 2-way tie in riding back on Oct. 27
Six candidates are running in Aggu’s second election. From left: incumbent Joanna Quassa will run against Louisa Iyerak, George Qaunaq and Erasmus Ivvalu. Photos of Louis Tapardjuk and Edward Attagutaluk were not available. (Photos courtesy of Elections Nunavut)
The race is still on in Aggu, where six candidates are vying to win the constituency that saw a tie in the Oct. 27 territorial election.
Incumbent Joanna Quassa and her opponent Erasmus Ivvalu each earned 105 votes on election night, triggering a re-election that is set for Dec. 15.
Quassa and Ivvalu remain on the ballot, along with George Qaunaq, Louis Tapardjuk, Edward Attagutaluk and Louisa Iyerak.
Aggu was one of three ridings in the territorial election requiring a judicial recount, along with Pangnirtung and Quttiktuq.
Judicial recounts are required in constituencies where the number of votes separating the two leading candidates is within two per cent of the total votes cast. They are conducted by Nunavut Court of Justice judges.
Because Aggu has no representative until the Dec. 15 vote, the constituency will not have a voice in Tuesday’s leadership forum where MLAs determine their new Speaker, premier and cabinet.
Wow it’s going to take a lot digits. On election night. To count the votes.
Next time theres a tie they should do a staring contest or a arm wrestle or a rock paper scissors
There is something inherently wrong with a system that permits new candidates to present after a tie has occurred. If a person wanted to run, they should have run in the original election. Not suddenly show up and say, “hey I think I will give it a try now that there was a tie”. There is something fundamentally wrong with that. It also smells of an attempt to split up votes for a particular candidate to allow another to gain a favorable number and permit “the win”. The original candidates did the leg work, stood up at the appropriate time and ran a campaign. The idea that a new campaign now littered with “new arrivals” needs to be redone by candidates who actually presented when it was time does not sit right. Let the original candidates battle it out again and try and persuade either more voters to show up or original voters to change their original selection. That is a fair process.
This is something that on top of everything else we have seen in this last election needs to be addressed. Also, can hardly wait to see now that there are 6 candidates show long it will take Elections Nunavut to figure this one out and give Nunavummiut the results. Nunatsiaq News, get ready to be told “you’re bothering me so much” by the Chief Electoral Officer.
It really doesn’t seem fair for the candidates… but on the other hand what about for the voters? The voters seemed to say “Eh… not really either…” so at least this time around the voters have a bigger breadth to choose from. Maybe now the voters will say: “This one. This one here’s the one!”
When an exact tie happens in an election, simply draw names from a hat or flip a coin. Its not fair that Aggu riding goes without a representative at todays leadership forum.
Isn’t it interesting that Tagak Curley’s wife, Louisa Iyerak, is running now that her husband has lost in Rankin Inlet? Also, can she run if she doesn’t live in the riding she is running for? I would think that would be a factor in if she qualifies. They will be factors that people will think about when they cast their votes, hopefully. Happy voting to everyone in Aggu riding.