Some Nunavimmiut want more answers from Elections Canada into voting failures in federal election

Days after Elections Canada released its report into what transpired in Nunavik during the federal election, Russ Johnson is still filled with anger and frustration. 

“I think we got a bunch of half truths and half acknowledgements,” he said from his Montreal home.

In a report released Thursday, Elections Canada acknowledged a suite of shortcomings that led to polls in half of Nunavik’s 14 villages closing early on election day — and in Akulivik and Ivujivik, there were no voting services that day at all. 

Those issues included a plan that lacked meaningful engagement with local communities – which was approved by Elections Canada headquarters — and a failure by the returning officer to complete mandatory community outreach prior to voting day.

But Johnson, who previously lived in Nunavik and volunteered for Liberal MP Mandy Gull-Masty’s campaign in the region, is still seeking answers. 

For one, he questions why polling staff were allowed to leave early because of adverse weather conditions despite accommodation having been secured. He also wants to know why that community outreach wasn’t done. 

Johnson believes many of the problems that arose are because it’s people down south who are running the operations.

“This all happened because they tried to do everything from Val d’Or, that little pocket at the very bottom of a huge riding that seems to control the whole riding all the time.”

Ivujivik mayor Adamie Kalingo still remembers seeing Elections Canada staff touch down in his community for an hour before they took off again — without any votes.

For him, it’s another case of Nunavimmiut being forgotten.

“We have been trying hard to be understood…. we are taxpayers, even though our numbers are very modest,” he said. 

At a regional government meeting earlier this year, Kalingo said he got the chance to meet Elections Canada representatives. He said he felt optimistic, and he hopes this report will lead to better consultation and communication in the future. 

“I would like personnel to be ready weeks ahead of time the next time round, with follow ups and constant telephone calls,” he said.

The report also notes that in several locations, voting services were provided exclusively by unilingual French-speaking staff, despite Inuktitut being the first language, followed by English.