And so we have arrived at election day in the city of Yellowknife. Congratulations on already participating in the democratic process and mailing the ballot you received in the mail back to be counted.
You didn’t receive a ballot and you haven’t mailed one back? That’s alright, because there are plenty of people just like you. So here’s what you can do:
If you are 18 years of age or older, are a Canadian citizen, and have been living in Yellowknife for at least one year, you can still vote today. You’ll need to attend one of the two voter assistance locations (the city’s fancy term for polling stations) in order to do so. They’re located at the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre and the DND Gymnasium at the Multiplex. They’ll be open between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. today.
You’ll have to prove the above by bringing something with an address on it and probably with photo identification as well.
If you have your ballot and simply didn’t mail it in, that’s alright as well. You can fill out your ballot and take it to either city hall, Tree of Peace or the DND Gymnasium by 7 p.m. in order to be counted.
So long as you’re in the building at one of the locations by 7 p.m., you will be able to vote.
No matter how you’re voting, you’ll get to choose up to eight of the 16 candidates looking to get onto the new council for a four-year term. There is no requirement to vote for that many; if you only feel like voting for two or four or six hopefuls, that’s perfectly fine.
Recounts are possible and that happens if two or more candidates are within five votes of one another, and it means the difference between getting in or being on the outside looking in.
Whoever gets inside the top eight once the voting totals are finalized will be serving with Mayor Rebecca Alty, who was acclaimed to another four-year term as the city’s top politician after no one decided to run against her.
And, yes, both liquor stores in town, the downtown location and Stanton Plaza, will be closed until the voting closes at 7 p.m.