Record turnout for Gwich'in election
Chris Puglia
Northern News Services
Published Monday, July 2, 2012
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
The Gwich'in Tribal Council's efforts to improve voter turnout for its elections have paid off with record numbers and ideas are being considered to further improve voter engagement in four-year's time.
Thanks to additional polling stations - in Whitehorse, Edmonton and Yellowknife - and aggressive advertising, 50 per cent of the 2,522 eligible voters cast a ballot this year, representing approximately 200 more votes than in 2008.
Barb Crawford, chief returning officer for the Gwich'in Tribal Council, said she was shocked by the results.
"I think it's great, I was very pleased," said Crawford.
This year, a recommendation from the 2008 election for additional polling stations was adopted to help reduce the number of mail-in ballots being received after the election deadline.
Of the 523 eligible voters in Yellowknife, Edmonton and Whitehorse, 205 - 39 per cent - attended the polls.
Mail-in ballots were still necessary in smaller communities without polling station but Crawford said response from those voters was also very good as her office received 249 accepted ballots by mail, some sent in via express post. However, another 491 ballots cast for president were not accepted because they were received after the deadline.
"I think people went out of their way to make sure their vote was counted," said Crawford.
Read More...
Chris Puglia
Northern News Services
Published Monday, July 2, 2012
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
The Gwich'in Tribal Council's efforts to improve voter turnout for its elections have paid off with record numbers and ideas are being considered to further improve voter engagement in four-year's time.
Thanks to additional polling stations - in Whitehorse, Edmonton and Yellowknife - and aggressive advertising, 50 per cent of the 2,522 eligible voters cast a ballot this year, representing approximately 200 more votes than in 2008.
Barb Crawford, chief returning officer for the Gwich'in Tribal Council, said she was shocked by the results.
"I think it's great, I was very pleased," said Crawford.
This year, a recommendation from the 2008 election for additional polling stations was adopted to help reduce the number of mail-in ballots being received after the election deadline.
Of the 523 eligible voters in Yellowknife, Edmonton and Whitehorse, 205 - 39 per cent - attended the polls.
Mail-in ballots were still necessary in smaller communities without polling station but Crawford said response from those voters was also very good as her office received 249 accepted ballots by mail, some sent in via express post. However, another 491 ballots cast for president were not accepted because they were received after the deadline.
"I think people went out of their way to make sure their vote was counted," said Crawford.
Read More...