Election overturned in Tsiigehtchic after incumbent appeals results
Band manager says ballots should have been mailed out sooner
Voters in Tsiigehtchic, N.W.T. are heading back to the polls after the community's election results for chief and council of the Gwichya Gwich'in Band were successfully appealed.
Losing candidate, incumbent Chief Phillip Blake, appealed the results after losing by one vote to Russell Andre.
The win was reaffirmed by a recount, which was triggered by the community's election code. It states a recount must take place if the winner doesn't win by at least five per cent of the vote.
The community's special election committee met in Fort McPherson Sunday and decided to overturn the June 18 election results due to a procedural mistake, according to Larry Dalley, the Gwichya Gwich'in Band manager.
"The code specifically states [to] mail out ballots," he said.
"People who are members of the band that are living outside of the community should have been sent [ballots] 49 days before the election and they were not sent out."
Dalley said the ballots were sent out about two weeks before the election.
He said he's hoping the new election will take place before the end of summer.
With files from Mackenzie Scott