Nominations open in Nunavut’s capital Monday for two city council seats

Nominations open Feb. 20 for the April 10 City of Iqaluit byelection. Two seats are open for the taking. (FILE PHOTO)

Do you want to have a say in how the City of Iqaluit is run?

Well, now’s your chance.

Iqaluit has two seats open on city council after the resignation of Gideonie Joamie on May 5, 2016 and Megan Pizzo-Lyall eight months later, on Jan. 10, so Iqaluit voters are going to the polls on April 10 for a byelection.

Nominations for that election open Feb. 20 and close on March 6 so candidates have two weeks to submit their paperwork and make it official.

You can download nomination forms at the City of Iqaluit’s website here.

In order to run for a seat on city council, you must be a Canadian citizen, 18 years of age or older, and have been a resident of Iqaluit for at least 12 consecutive months.

According to the Local Authorities Elections Act, there are a few other rules, including one that says you can’t have a debt with the city larger than $500 and more than 90 days overdue.

Plus, your city taxes from last year need to be paid off.

Nomination forms are otherwise simple. You just need two people to nominate you and vouch that you are who you say you are. And there is no fee to run for city council.

An unofficial list of candidates will be published on March 6 with the official list following on March 9.

A voter’s list will be posted on March 10. If you’re not on it, you should contact the election’s chief returning officer, Franco Buscemi, at 867-222-4443 or iqaluitbyelection@ayaya.ca.

Election day is April 10 with advance polls on April 3. Polling locations and times will be made public closer to those dates.