Voter participation in Inuit communities during the 2025 federal elections saw a decline, prompting calls for enhanced engagement with local residents. Elections Canada recently released a report on the estimated voter turnout among Indigenous communities during the 45th general election in April 2025.
Over the past three federal elections, voter turnout in Inuit communities decreased from 43.6% in 2019 to 30.2% in 2025, while the national turnout stood at 69.5% last year. However, the trend varied across regions.
Comparing the 2025 election to the previous one in 2021, voting rates increased for Inuit in the Inuvialuit region of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut by 7.5% and 1.6%, respectively, with a turnout rate of around 35%. Similarly, Inuit in the Nunatsiavut region of Newfoundland and Labrador experienced a slight 2.5% decrease compared to 2021.
Notably, the turnout in Nunavik, part of the Abitibi–Baie-James–Nunavik–Eeyou riding in Quebec, significantly dropped to 14.7% last year, nearly half of the 2021 turnout rate. This decline was partly attributed to the early closure or non-opening of polling booths in most of the region’s 14 villages due to adverse weather conditions on election day and a lack of staff.
Elections Canada acknowledged shortcomings in previous outreach efforts and engagement with all Nunavik communities, including those with voting services. Despite a request for an interview by CBC News, the agency declined to comment.
Pita Aatami, president of Makivvik representing Inuit in Nunavik, emphasized the need for election officials to actively engage with communities and fulfill their responsibility to ensure voter participation in federal elections. He expressed concerns about voter apathy and suggested making voting mandatory, akin to census participation, to boost turnout. Aatami also proposed exploring online voting as a convenient option, citing its success in Makivvik’s own elections, but stressed the importance of individual accountability in exercising the right to vote.
