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About Elections NWT

 

Elections NWT

Elections NWT is an independent, non-partisan public agency responsible to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories for the administration of territorial general elections, by-elections, and plebiscites in accordance with the Elections and Plebiscites Act.

The major responsibilities of Elections NWT are:

  • the appointment and training of election officers;
  • informing the public about electoral rights and procedures;
  • maintaining voters lists;
  • supervising the casting of ballots;
  • reporting election results;
  • reviewing candidate financial reports;
  • enforcing election law; and,
  • recommending changes to election legislation.

Between general elections, our work includes:

  • maintaining a general state of election readiness;
  • updating the Register of Territorial Electors
  • making operational and technological improvements, where necessary;
  • expanding awareness and education about electoral systems;
  • assisting the work of an electoral boundaries commission; and,
  • supporting the Legislative Assembly in amending election legislation.

Territorial Elections

The Northwest Territories follows a system of fixed-date elections, in which the Legislative Assembly is scheduled to be dissolved every four years so that a general election may be held.

Under this system, polling day is the first Tuesday in October, four years after the last general election.

The next Territorial General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 14, 2023.

Consensus Government

The absence of political parties in the electoral process is one of the features of the NWT's consensus government.

Although there is no law prohibiting territorial political parties, there is no mechanism to register a territorial political party.  As such, the Elections and Plebiscites Act has no provisions governing matters such as leadership selection or party financing.