Slide Deck 3: Territorial Elections

Why do we have elections?

What is an election? An election is the selection process for determining our political representatives and the direction of our government Elections are contests of leadership, ideas, politics and power, where interested groups and individuals campaign for our support and, ultimately, our vote

Candidates An individual who seeks public office or competes for the job of elected representative is called a candidate Candidates try to bring together people with similar political views and goals and hope to get voted in to enact positive change once elected

An electoral system is a set of rules that determine how choices are presented to voters, how preferences are recorded and the methods used for determining which candidate wins There are many different electoral systems used around the world

What is our electoral system? Nunavut uses a system called First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) or Single-Member Plurality – where one member is elected per constituency The rules: Voters can only choose one candidate on their ballot The candidate that receives the most votes wins (this is called plurality)

What is a constituency? Nunavut is divided into 22 small geographic areas called constituencies Constituencies are determined by population size as well as geographic factors such as roads, rivers, cities and towns, which means that the size and shape of ridings can be very different The people living within a constituency are called constituents

How does Single-Member Plurality work? An example of FPTP, in a constituency with 100 ballots cast: CANDIDATE NUMBER OF VOTES Lisa 40 Mohamed 15 Emma 11 Thomas 34 Lisa wins because she has the most votes (40). The winning candidate does not need a majority amount of support – just one more vote than any other candidate

Do you know when the territorial election will take place?

Territorial Candidates In other provincial, territorial (Yukon) and federal elections in Canada, candidates are usually associated with a political party Once elected, they often commit to their party’s position on various issues and vote as a group in the legislature or parliament MLAs in Nunavut (and NWT) are independent and are encouraged to vote on bills according to their own beliefs and in the interests of their constituents

What experience or qualifications should a Member of the Legislative Assembly possess? What characteristics or values should they demonstrate?

Getting to know the Candidates There are many ways to gather information about your local candidates: Community groups hold town hall meetings where citizens are invited to listen to candidates share their ideas Individuals may also visit campaign offices, attend campaign events, or have a chance to talk to the candidate when they visit their constituency The Internet is also a very accessible source of information via media websites and candidate websites or social media platforms. Information can also be found on radio, television, or in newspapers

What do you look for when evaluating the candidates? What is most important to you and why?

Your Own Political Views Your political views are developed from your experiences, personal values and opinions Your views are also shaped by talking to people whose opinions you respect, researching media and by reflecting on your values

Oral Tradition In Inuit culture and most Indigenous nations, oral tradition deeply influences worldviews and political ideologies Elders and storytellers pass down culture and systems of governance from generation to generation Oral tradition and the transmission of knowledge and values ensure social cohesion, as well as the survival and thriving of one’s culture

Debrief How can you learn about the candidates for election? What do you look for when evaluating the candidates? What is election issue is most important to you and why? Why are elections important?