The recent President\u2019s election was the first time online voting was used for a Makivvik universal election. More than 600 Inuit took advantage of the platform to vote in the convenience of their home or any distant location on planet Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man behind Makivvik\u2019s venture into electronic democracy is Director of Communications Carson Tagoona. He says it would have been used in the two universal elections in January 2023, but both positions were acclaimed. So, it was first piloted in four Board of Director elections in April, 2023. Overall, he says it went well. \u201cEverybody really appreciated how simple the process was, and just to have this ability now to vote online, or remotely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was something that was considered in the midst of the pandemic. Carson started discussions with the online voting company One Feather, based in British Columbia in 2021. He chose the platform because it allowed a hybrid system to operate \u2013 both paper ballots and online voting \u2013 at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once the internet backbone in the Nunavik region improved with the onset of KRG\u2019s fibre optic cable, and the Starlink satellite dishes, it provided the secure high speed infrastructure needed to move forward with online voting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Training was provided for 30 returning officers in January 2024 in Montreal \u2013 two from each community. \u201cThe biggest reason why we had to train returning officers is because they would now be using a live voters list,\u201d says Carson. \u201cBecause of the fact that people could vote online they needed to have a real time view of the entire voters list.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Voting online was a simple process. The Makivvik website provided a step-by-step visual guide to register with the One Feather platform, and then vote. Carson says voters needed to provide their full name, beneficiary number, and date of birth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor any election moving forward, Inuit who created accounts with One Feather are in the system. For any Makivvik board or executive elections, users will be notified by email, and won\u2019t have to create an account again,\u201d says Carson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Online voting may have contributed to the early results, posted by 8 pm on the evening of February 1, 2024, announcing Pita Aatami\u2019s re-election as Makivvik President. Carson says it\u2019s one of the fastest results ever posted. \u201cWe had 616 electronic ballots, so essentially that\u2019s 616 fewer ballots to count!\u201d Pita Aatami received 1,862 votes, Harry Tulugak 393, and Suzy Kauki 347. Voter turnout was 26.49%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Online voting is big in western Canada with First Nations. Makivvik is, once again, a pioneer with the technology among Inuit groups, with other organizations reaching out to see how Makivvik accomplished it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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