Voter participation in Inuit communities during the 2025 federal elections saw a decline, prompting calls from leaders for improved engagement with local residents. Elections Canada recently released a report on the estimated turnout in 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 average turnout across Canada last year stood at 69.5%. However, the voting trend varied by region.
Compared to the 2021 federal election, 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 around 35%. In the Nunatsiavut region of Newfoundland and Labrador, Inuit saw a slight 2.5% decrease compared to 2021.
In 2025, the turnout in Nunavik, part of the Abitibi–Baie-James–Nunavik–Eeyou riding in Quebec, was significantly low at 14.7%, nearly half of the 2021 turnout rate. Elections Canada attributed this to the early closure or non-opening of polling booths in most of the region’s 14 villages due to inclement weather conditions on voting day and a lack of staff.
Elections Canada acknowledged deficiencies in prior outreach efforts and meaningful engagement with all Nunavik communities, including those with voting services. The agency did not grant an interview request from CBC News.
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. Aatami expressed concerns about voter apathy and suggested making voting mandatory, similar to the census process. He also proposed the adoption of online voting, as utilized in Makivvik’s own elections, to facilitate the voting process for individuals.
Aatami underscored the importance of individual accountability in exercising the right to vote, stating that it is ultimately the responsibility of citizens to participate in the electoral process.