Nunavik communities gear up for November elections

KRG council is meeting this week in Kuujjuaq — its last meeting before the next municipal election in November. (PHOTO BY SARAH ROGERS)

KUUJJUAQ — Nunavik voters will head to the polls Nov. 4 to choose mayors and six-member municipal councils.

Municipal councils in all 14 of the region’s communities are reaching the end of their three-year terms, following the last municipal election in November 2012.

Interested candidates can pick up a nomination form at their northern village office. Candidates must be formally nominated by three electors in the community.

Nominations must be submitted to northern village offices Oct. 28 between 1:00 and 5:00 p.m.

On Nov. 4, polls will be open in each community between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., at which point Nunavik residents who are at least 18 years old can cast their ballot.

If fewer than six candidates run for council, and only one candidate for the position of mayor, those individuals will be acclaimed.

This week’s Kativik Regional Government regional council is the last one to be held ahead of those elections. Once new municipal councils are elected, they will decide council member to send as a regional councillor to represent their community at the KRG.

During the KRG’s following regional council meetings, scheduled for Nov. 23, the council will also elect a new executive.

The KRG council’s current chair, Maggie Emudluk, was first elected as councillor in 1993, and then as chair in 2005.

Emudluk says she hasn’t decided whether to run again.