Indigenous communities in Nunavik face unique challenges when voting in elections. As a result, Élections Québec has decided to implement a series of measures to make things easier for them. “Since the last general election, we have reached out to Inuit communities and other Indigenous communities elsewhere in Quebec to better understand their circumstances. These meetings helped identify certain challenges that members of these communities face when voting,” Élections Québec wrote in an email sent to The Canadian Press. The independent organization, which handles all voting logistics, cites voter registration and the delivery of documents sent by mail as examples. There are also issues regarding the availability of the identification documents required to verify one’s identity before voting. As a solution, Élections Québec states that a voter who does not have any of the required identification documents may go to vote accompanied by a spouse, a parent, or an acquaintance who has one of these documents. `That person can confirm the voter’s identity to allow them to vote,’ the statement explains. One person may verify the identity of several members of their immediate family. However, an acquaintance may confirm the identity of only one person. Furthermore, it is not necessary to be eligible to vote in order to verify someone’s identity. A teenager could very well confirm his father’s identity if he has one of the accepted forms of identification. Elections Canada’s Past Failures It should be recalled that during the last federal general election in 2025, many Nunavimmiuts were denied their right to vote. Two villages had no polling stations open, and other polling stations were open for only a few hours. It appears that Elections Canada staff left in a hurry due to weather conditions that might have stranded them. Travel from southern Quebec and between the 14 villages in Nunavik is possible only by plane. Since then, Elections Canada has apologized and acknowledged that the communities should have been more involved in organizing the election in Nunavik. Although Élections Québec is a separate organization from Elections Canada, for citizens, the recent experience left a bitter taste. Élections Québec wants to ensure that this scenario does not repeat itself at the provincial level. “Ten days before Election Day, we will send a two-person team to conduct voting in each of the various communities in Nunavik. The team will first set up a polling station to allow voters to cast their ballots early. At the same polling station and during the same visit, voters will also be able, if necessary, to register on the voter list or update their address. After early voting concludes, the voting team will remain on site until Election Day; this way, there will be no transportation issues in the event of difficult weather conditions,” explains Julie St-Arnaud-Drolet, a spokesperson for Élections Québec, in an email. The organization adds that it plans to recruit and train community members to work on Election Day. The Élections Québec team must fly back the day after Election Day to return the ballot boxes. The Ungava riding, which includes Nunavik as well as about 20 municipalities, including Chibougamau, had a voter turnout of 30.21 per cent in the last provincial election, in 2022. This is a low percentage compared to the Quebec average of 66.15 per cent. Furthermore, a large proportion of residents in these communities do not speak French. In the Inuit region of Nunavik, the vast majority of the population speaks Inuktitut as their mother tongue. “Voters in Inuit communities will receive an informational brochure in the local language. This initiative aims to address the challenges in delivering informational materials sent by Élections Québec. While the agency has voters’ home addresses, in these communities most mail is delivered to post office boxes with addresses different from those of their homes. The informational insert will therefore be distributed to post office boxes,” explains Drolet. Advertising messages will also be broadcast on local radio stations. In addition, the guide for the provincial election has been translated into Inuktitut, as well as into eight other Indigenous languages. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 19, 2026.
