What to expect on election day

When Iqaluit voters go to the polls Oct. 20 to elect city councillors, education authority members and a mayor, they should be prepared to find ballots bearing long lists of candidates for city council and two different education authorities.

That may mean long waiting times at polling stations.

“It’s a big election, with the number of people [on the ballots], so nobody’s going to be rushed,” said Dennis Egeyedy, the City of Iqaluit’s returning officer.

Twelve people are contesting eight positions on city council. The name of a 13th candidate, Lynda Gunn, will appear on the council ballot, but Gunn has withdrawn from the race and is advising people not to vote for her.

Iqaluit voters will also see the names of nine people running for seven spots on the Iqaluit District Education Authority, while francophone voters will see the names of nine people running for five vacant seats on the Francophone District Education Authority, le conseil scolaire francophone d’Iqaluit.

Egeyedy and his staff used last Friday’s advance poll – held for voters who won’t be in town on election day – to measure how much time it takes for each person to vote, on average.

“What we’re finding is that, because there are so many names on each ballot, it takes a little bit longer. So they can anticipate, when they come to vote, that it might take a while,” Egeyedy said.

To speed things up, Egeyedy and his staff are adding more polling stations to the Cadet Hall voting location.

All Iqaluit voters will cast their ballots there, except for Apex residents, who will vote at Abe Okpik Hall.

When you go to the Cadet Hall to vote, the first stop you’ll make is at an information table where election workers will check to see if your name is on the voters’ list.

If it’s not on the list, you’ll be directed to a special polling station for people who must swear a “declaration” before they’re allowed to vote. To be eligible, you must be 18, a Canadian citizen, and a resident of Iqaluit for at least one year as of election day.

If you are on the voters’ list, you will be directed to one of at least four other polling stations.

There, you’ll be handed colour-coded ballots: fluorescent green for the mayors’ vote, white for city council, fluorescent orange for the IDEA, and yellow for the francophone DEA.

“It makes it a bit easier, so people know what ballots they’re getting,” Egeyedy said.

After you vote, you have to return your ballots to the table where you picked them up, where a poll clerk or district returning officer will put them in the right ballot box for you.

You may vote for only one candidate in the mayors’ election, but in the city council vote, you may vote for between one and eight candidates.

In the IDEA election you may vote for up to seven people, while francophone voters may vote for up to five people on the francophone DEA.

“It does take longer to vote with the number of candidates who are running. Some may make up their mind before they get there, others, we will have to bear with them because they are going to take their time,” Egeyedy said.

The only local body that doesn’t require an election is the Apex District Education Authority.

Seven people won their seats by acclamation, when the minimum number of nominees turned up after an extension of the nomination period.