Elections Canada says voting in Nunavik during the spring federal election was seriously disrupted because of weak planning and poor oversight. These problems caused some polling stations to close much earlier than scheduled.
After the April 28 election, the agency admitted that many people in Nunavik couldn’t vote because there weren’t enough staff to keep polls open.
A report released Thursday says the returning officer did not create a proper plan and did not engage meaningfully with local communities. Even though the plan fell short of expectations, it was still approved by Elections Canada headquarters.
The report notes that community outreach steps were not completed, which reduced local involvement and made it harder to deliver voting services. Community leaders were not properly consulted, resulting in major challenges in recruiting poll workers.
The inquiry found several serious gaps in election preparation, and managers were not kept informed about the growing problems.
Because of this, some Nunavik residents received little or no access to voting services. Six communities had no advance voting at all, and seven had only partial services. On election day, two communities had no voting services, seven had partial access, and only five had full services.
Elections Canada says the issues in Nunavik reflect wider challenges and that the agency is working to reduce barriers for Indigenous voters. About 90 per cent of residents in Nunavik are Inuit, and most speak Inuktitut.
During a visit to Kuujjuaq in September, Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault apologized to the Kativik Regional Government for the difficulties voters experienced.
Officials visited four northern villages, where local leaders said people felt frustrated and confused by the lack of clear voting services.
The report recommends stronger engagement with communities, more accountability from returning officers, and a clear protocol for escalating problems. It also suggests forming dedicated teams that understand northern and Indigenous realities to better support election planning.
Elections Canada says it will implement these recommendations by next spring.
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