Learn about Elections Nunavut

Election Terminolgy

Acclamation:  A candidate wins by acclamation when they’re the only candidate in their constituency.  Nobody votes. 

Advance vote:  A way to vote before Election Day.  You vote at the polling station from 12pm to 7pm, 7 days before Election Day.

Affirm:  A legal promise.  The most serious promise a person can make; if you break this promise it’s the same as breaking the law.  A person gives their word and affirms that something is true.  Similar to swearing, an oath, or a declaration.

Assistant Returning Officer:  The RO hires one or more Assistant Returning Officers.  The ARO can accept declarations of candidacy and helps the RO with all other work during the election period.

Ballot:  The official paper we use to mark our vote.  It lists the candidates’ names in alphabetical order.

By-Election:  An election in only one constituency.

Campaign:  The signs, buttons, ads, speeches, and other things a candidate uses to make people want to vote for them.

Campaign manager:  The person who coordinates and looks after a candidate’s campaign.

Campaign material: Any ad in favour of or against a candidate.  Includes ads on radio, TV, the internet and newspapers; signs, buttons, posters, and banners.

Candidate:  An eligible voter who wants to be a Member of the Legislative Assembly, and who files a declaration of candidacy that Elections Nunavut accepts.

CEO or Chief Electoral Officer:  The CEO is in charge of Elections Nunavut.  The Commissioner of Nunavut appoints this person to oversee the Nunavut Elections Act. Elections Nunavut is all the people responsible to organize and carry out territorial elections.

Close of candidacy:  2pm local time 31 days before Election Day.

Constituency:  A constituency is a geographic area and the people who live there.  Nunavut has 19 constituencies.  The people in each constituency elect a Member of the Legislative Assembly.

Contribution:  Money, goods or services a person or business gives to a candidate’s campaign.

Counterfoil:  The extra tab on a ballot.  The Deputy Returning Officer rips it off just before the ballot goes in the ballot box.

Declaration: A formal or legal statement a person makes to say they intend to do something.

Declaration of candidacy: The form a person fills out to say they want to be a candidate - they want a chance to be elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA).  They must be eligible and give a $200 deposit.

Deputy Returning Officer:  The election officer in charge of a polling station.  Deputy Returning Officers make sure voters and candidates follow the law.  They give out the ballots and count them. 

Elect:  To choose a person by voting.  During a territorial election we elect our Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).

Election:  In a territorial election voters mark a secret ballot to choose a candidate to be a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA).

Election expense: Any money paid or owed during an election period, to promote or oppose a candidate’s election.  Includes any goods and services people contribute, and any costs of the financial agent and campaign manager.  

Election notice:  The election notice showing the name and contact information of each candidate, their financial agent and campaign manager in a constituency. The Chief Electoral Officer sends out the election notice 30 days before Election Day.

Elections Nunavut:  The office and staff of the Chief Electoral Officer.  These people run and organize territorial elections.

Election Officer:  A person who works for an election.  Election Officers include Returning Officers, Assistant Returning Officers, Deputy Returning Officers and Poll Clerks and Registration Clerks.

Election period:  The 35-day period starts with the writ and ends with Election Day. The official time when the election event happens.

Election report:  The election report shows how many votes each candidate got.  The RO fills it out when they have reviewed the statements of the poll from Election Day.  If needed the RO can delay the election report for up to two weeks after Election Day.

Emergency method:  A way to vote by radio or satellite phone if you’re in a remote place and meet 3 conditions.

Final voters list:  The final voters list comes out after Election Day.  Elections Nunavut makes it from the official voters list plus all the voters that registered on Election Day or at the early polls.

Financial agent:  The person who handles all the money for a candidate’s campaign.  The financial agent takes contributions and pays all the expenses.

Financial return:  The official report of the campaign’s election contributions and expenses, as required under the Nunavut Elections Act.  Includes declarations from the candidate and financial agent.

Judicial recount:  A judge of the Nunavut Court counts all the ballots for a constituency again.  This happens if two candidates have the same number of votes or almost the same number – within 2%.  See the Nunavut Elections Act for other ways a recount can happen.

Legislative Assembly:  The people we elect to form our government and make laws.  Nunavut has 19 members in their Legislative Assembly.

Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs):  The people that get elected during an election.  The people that form the Government of Nunavut.

Mobile poll:  A way to vote if you physically can’t get out to vote.  The poll comes to you.

Nunavut Elections Act:  The law Nunavummiut use to organize and run a territorial election.

Oath:  A formal, legal promise that something is true; a promise to do something.  Election officers take an oath for their job; elected candidates take an oath as MLAs.  Similar to swearing, affirming, or a declaration.

Official voters list:  The official voters list combines the preliminary voters list with any changes Elections Nunavut accepts, up to 28 days before Election Day.  Elections Nunavut prepares the official voters list for each constituency no later than 23 days before Election Day.

Poll Clerk:  An election officer who works at a polling station with the Deputy Returning Officer.  Poll Clerks look after the polling record. 

Polling record:  A list of everyone who voted at the polling station, any changes to the voters list, and everything that happens during voting.

Polling station:  The place we go to vote.

Pre-election expense:  A campaign expense that the candidate pays for during the pre-election period.

Pre-election period:  Starts the day the Commissioner publicly announces the date of the next election; ends the day the CEO issues the writ.

Preliminary voters list:  The preliminary voters list is the list of voters that Elections Nunavut prepares for each constituency and sends out the day the CEO issues the writ.

Proxy vote:  A voter gets another voter to vote for them.  You apply to the Returning Officer to get a proxy certificate.  You can only vote by proxy if: 1) You’re suddenly called away from your community; 2) You can’t vote on Election Day; and 3) You can’t vote any other way.

RENU:  Register for Elections in Nunavut – electronic voters list for Nunavut.

Returning Officer or RO:  The Election Officer in charge of a constituency.  Returning Officers appoint Assistant Returning Officers, Deputy Returning Officers, Poll Clerks and Registration Clerks for each poll.  Returning Officers oversee everything about the election in their constituency.

Special ballot:  A way to vote if you’re away at school, on vacation, in hospital or at a treatment centre or jail.  Other people who need or want to vote by mail can also use a special ballot. You apply to Elections Nunavut to get a special ballot.

Swear:  A religious promise.  The most serious promise you can make; if you break this promise it’s like breaking the law.  A person gives their word and swears on the Bible that something is true.  Similar to affirming, an oath, or a declaration.

Territorial election:  The time we elect members to the Nunavut Legislative Assembly.  A general election is when we elect a member in all 19 constituencies.  A by-election is when we elect a new member in one constituency.

Vote: In a territorial election you mark a secret ballot when you vote.  You choose the candidate you want to elect to the Legislative Assembly. 

Writ: The official notice to say there is an election.  The Chief Electoral Officer sends it to each Returning Officer.  Each RO posts the writ in their office.

The return of the writ is the backside of the writ.  It shows who won the election.  The RO fills it out and sends it to the CEO after Election Day.  If a candidate wins by acclamation the RO fills out the return of the writ right away.