The winner of the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh MLA byelection should be known by daySA国际影视传媒檚 end Wednesday but some candidates say the mail-in voting process has been overly challenging.

Six candidates are vying for the seat, which became vacant when Steve Norn was expelled from the NWT Legislative Assembly on Nov. 23.

Along with Norn trying to reclaim, Ernest Betsina, Richard Edjericon, Mary Rose Sundberg, Nadine Delorme and Clinton Unka are in the running.

Mail-in vote ballots were being taken up until the deadline of Feb. 8 at 8 p.m.

There are 891 registered electors in the district, but the number of cast or discarded ballots wonSA国际影视传媒檛 be known until Feb. 9.

Betsina said he found the campaign difficult for several reasons, including that public health restrictions prevented him from visiting Fort Resolution as the community was not allowing anybody in due to Covid-19.

Additionally, not all constituents have internet access SA国际影视传媒� let alone phones or computers SA国际影视传媒� where much information is located. He has found some voters slow to digest all of the information, as well.

SA国际影视传媒淚 am finding out that reading and writing is a challenge for some constituents in the communities, especially the Elders,SA国际影视传媒� said Betsina. SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 getting questions on how they fill out the ballots, because they donSA国际影视传媒檛 understand it. I tell them to ask their children to explain it.

SA国际影视传媒淪o it really, really is challenging.SA国际影视传媒�

Norn said he has found much of the campaign confusing. He has been emphasizing the importance that people use the drop boxes available in the communities rather than mail ballots through Canada Post.

SA国际影视传媒淚 have been getting a lot of feedback on the mail-in ballots that this was kind of confusing,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚 donSA国际影视传媒檛 know what itSA国际影视传媒檚 like for people that are not too well studied, but it has been confusing for a lot of our Elders and not being able to use the traditional polling station.SA国际影视传媒�

Unka also said he has received feedback on the difficulties of understanding the process.

SA国际影视传媒淚 did speak to a couple of constituents in the regions and a lot of it was very difficult to decipher, like when it came to what boxes you need to check off or whether you can actually hand deliver (a ballot) somewhere,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚 was hearing stories of people just not even knowing how to read it. In other cases, because people were stuck at home due to Covid SA国际影视传媒� people were just throwing it in their fires to use as kindling.SA国际影视传媒�

Deputy chief electoral officer Charlotte Digness said that Elections NWT has acknowledged the complexities of the mail-in vote and has made extra efforts to maximize voter access.

SA国际影视传媒淓lections NWT undertook several initiatives to make voting easier, in recognition that a mail-in process has more steps than an in-person poll,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淎ll return envelopes were pre-stamped so that electors would not have to pay for postage.SA国际影视传媒�

Digness said that drop boxes have been arranged in Fort Resolution, Lutsel KSA国际影视传媒檈, NSA国际影视传媒檇ilo and Dettah so that voters did not have to rely solely on Canada Post to mail their ballots.

The election office has also hired people to work with voters to get proper information about the new voting process.

SA国际影视传媒淓lection workers have also been picking up ballot packages from voters who were unable to leave their homes, or who could not make it to the post office or drop box in the community,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

Date extension on voter registration

Voters were given an extension to apply for an absentee ballot SA国际影视传媒� up to Feb. 4 at noon instead of the original Jan. 28.

SA国际影视传媒淰oters are required to sign a certificate as part of the mail-in process,SA国际影视传媒� Digness said, noting that all packages include instructions on how to ensure the ballot is filled out, including the need to place it inside a secrecy envelope.

Packages also contain contact information for election workers for questions or assistance.

SA国际影视传媒淪ome of the instruction sheets have come back as unsigned SA国际影视传媒� so we have been working with our election staff in the communities to make sure those things got signed,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淕iven that itSA国际影视传媒檚 all mail-in ballot and given that we shipped everything out through Canada Post, we just wanted to make sure that we were providing enough time for electors to apply for a (mail-in) package.SA国际影视传媒�

Public health concerns

Elections NWT stated that the mail-in vote was necessary because of concerns involving Covid-19.

Several people in the communities voiced misgivings over the potential spread of the new Omicron wave, according to Digness.

SA国际影视传媒淭he decision to move to a mail-in-ballot-only election was done after the Omicron wave was starting to result in a high level of infections in the south, and the first case was reported in the NWT,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淓lection workers had expressed concerns about working an in-person poll, and communities were apprehensive about renting space for the polling places, given the uncertainty over what this variant would mean for infections and transmissibility.SA国际影视传媒�