With the clock having struck 2 p.m., Elections NWT has finalized the list of candidates running to win one of the 19 seats up for grabs in the territorial election on Nov. 14.
It’s actually 16 seats that will be contested; Caroline Wawzonek in Yellowknife South, Jane Armstrong in Monfwi and Caitlin Cleveland in Kam Lake were all officially acclaimed once the deadline came and went.
A total of 56 candidates have put their names forward and here’s the final list, according to Elections NWT:
Dehcho
Ronald Bonnetrouge
Richard C. Lafferty
Steven Vandell
Sheryl Yakeleya
Frame Lake
Deanna Cornfield
Julian Morse
John Stanley
Spencer Tracy
Stuart Wray
Great Slave
James Lawrence
Katrina Nokleby
Katherine Reid
Stacie Arden Smith
Hay River North
Greg McMeekin
R.J. Simpson
Michael Wallington
Hans Wiedemann
Hay River South
Vince McKay
Wally Schumann
Rocky Simpson
Inuvik Boot Lake
Diane Archie
Denny Rodgers
Sallie Ross
Inuvik Twin Lakes
Lenora McLeod
Lesa Semmler
Kam Lake
Caitlin Cleveland (acclaimed)
Mackenzie Delta
Frederick Blake Jr.
George Nerysoo
Richard Ross Jr.
Monfwi
Jane Armstrong (acclaimed)
Nahendeh
Sharon Allen
Joshua Campbell
Mavis Cli-Michaud
Hillary Deneron
Shane Thompson
Leslie Wright
Nunakput
Lucy Kuptana
Vince Teddy
Range Lake
Aaron Reid
Nicole Sok
Kieron Testart
Sahtu
Paulie Chinna
Daniel McNeely
Delphine Pierrot
Thebacha
Connie Benwell
Jay MacDonald
Frieda Martselos
Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh
Nadine Delorme
Richard Edjericon
Yellowknife Centre
Ambelem Chenemu
Robert Hawkins
Matthew Spence
Yellowknife North
Jon Howe
Shauna Morgan
Bruce Valpy
Yellowknife South
Caroline Wawzonek (acclaimed)
Anyone who decides campaigning or electioneering isn’t for them has until 5 p.m. Friday evening to withdraw.
While the official campaigning has begun, pre-campaign spending was deemed to have started on July 16. The original pre-spending start date was June 4, but that was pushed ahead by six weeks due to the legislative assembly pushing the original election date back six weeks because of the wildfire situation.
Elections NWT has indicated that any monies spent between June 4 and July 16 will not count toward the campaign spending limit of $30,000 per candidate.
If you know you’re going to be away on election day, Nov. 14, you have some options available to you to vote.
Applications for absentee balloting began begin accepted on Oct. 3 and will continue until Nov. 4. Absentee voting will begin on Oct. 24 at 10 a.m. and your ballot must be in the hands of Elections NWT by Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. to be counted. Ballots received after election day will not be counted.
You can also vote at the Office of the Returning Officer for your riding. That also begins on Oct. 24 and will end on Nov. 11. Advance polling will be happening in ridings the week of Nov. 7 to 10, while a mobile polling opportunity will also take place that same week. You can apply for a mobile polling option beginning Oct. 31.