It’s official. The 2023 NWT general election has been postponed for six weeks following an emergency sitting of the legislative assembly in Inuvik on Aug. 28.
The new date to go to the polls is Tuesday, Nov. 14 instead of the originally scheduled Tuesday, Oct. 3.
This was deemed necessary because wildfire evacuations have made it impossible for more than half of the NWT’s population to safely participate in the election process in the weeks ahead.
The motion carried 18-0.
Frame Lake MLA Kevin O’Reilly said there’s a possibility that a further election delay could be required if the wildfires burn longer than expected.
Many MLAs participated in Monday’s meeting remotely while others were in Inuvik.