- Polls in multiple Nunavik villages closed early or never opened due to staffing and travel issues.
- Many voters were excluded due to lack of Indigenous-language materials and late mail-in ballots.
- Elections Canada has apologized and promised a formal review of the failures.
Voters in Nunavik were left frustrated and disenfranchised during Canada’s 2025 federal election, as nine of the region’s 14 villages lacked local polling staff.
Makivvik president Pita Aatami and MP Mandy Gull-Masty emphasized that the failures highlighted systemic neglect of Inuit and Cree communities.
Broken Promises: Election Access Still Elusive in Northern Indigenous Communities
The federal election exposed a glaring gap in voting access for Nunavik’s Indigenous population. Despite Elections Canada’s pledges to improve accessibility, practical failures on election day meant many residents couldn’t vote. In remote communities where democracy already feels distant, these setbacks only widened the trust gap.
Community leaders pointed to a persistent lack of engagement with local offices. Municipal secretaries and other trained individuals were overlooked in staffing decisions, even though they could have helped run polls more effectively. Gull-Masty argued that earlier and deeper collaboration with these communities is essential.
Language remains a powerful barrier. Without ballots or voting information in Inuktitut or Cree, many voters couldn’t understand the process or deadlines. For those not fluent in English or French, this alone was enough to dissuade participation.
Meanwhile, the mail-in ballot system showed it wasn’t built for the realities of northern life. Long mail delivery times from Montreal meant some voters simply never received their ballots. For those who did, there was uncertainty about whether their completed ballots would be counted in time.
The failure to ensure equitable voting in Nunavik is a stark reminder that meaningful reconciliation requires more than promises—it demands infrastructure, respect, and urgency.
“It showed us how Inuit were made to feel like their right to vote was taken away from them … the issue has to be resolved before the next election.” — Pita Aatami
