N.W.T. votes 2015 | 43 per cent of eligible voters cast ballots
Only 4 constituencies see turnout percentage improve from 2011
Data released Tuesday by Elections NWT shows that just 43.59 per cent of eligible voters in the territory cast ballots in Monday's election, a further drop from the record low numbers seen in 2011.
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In 2011, just over 48 per cent of eligible voters cast ballots. That number was the lowest in the territory since at least 1954, the earliest year Elections NWT had data available.
"I think it's sad that more people are not engaged," said former Premier Joe Handley. "And I think it's an issue that the MLAs have to look at and say: 'What's happening? Are we becoming [so] irrelevant that people don't pay attention to what's going on?"
Wendy Bisaro, former MLA for Frame Lake, called the turnout numbers "brutal."
"I struggle really hard with why we can't get people out to vote," she said. "Maybe this year it was the third election in a row for people. I don't know.
"It sort of indicates that maybe we need to do something with our territorial government to get people involved, and get people interested."
Turnout highest in Nunakput, lowest in Yellowknife
Turnout was highest in the Nunkaput constituency, where a tight five-way race saw nearly 75 per cent of voters cast ballots.
Yellowknife ridings saw the lowest turnout in the territory. Three ridings — Kam Lake, Great Slave, and Frame Lake — saw turnout rates under 30 per cent, while Range Lake only slightly passed that threshold, with 31.55% of eligible voters casting ballots.
As a whole, Yellowknife's seven ridings had 5,014 voters cast ballots, for a total voter turnout of 32.8 per cent in the capital.
The biggest drop-off in percentage from 2011 was in the riding of Inuvik Boot Lake. In 2015, 42.23 per cent of voters cast ballots, an over 40 per cent drop from 2011's 83.88 per cent turnout.
In total, only four ridings: Nunakput, Mackenzie Delta, Nahendeh, and Yellowknife Centre — saw a higher turnout by percentage than in 2011.
| Riding | Voter turnout percentage, 2015 | Voter turnout percentage, 2011 |
| Nunakput | 74.47% | 56.19% |
| Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh | 71.41% | New riding for 2015 |
| Mackenzie Delta | 65.33% | 46.61% |
| Deh Cho | 60.31% | 67.02% |
| Nahendeh | 59.84% | 36.80% |
| Hay River South | 57.18% | 60.60% |
| Hay River North | 53.91% | 55.19% |
| Thebacha | 50.81% | 78.46% |
| Sahtu | 47.36% | 50.00% |
| Yellowknife North | 44.05% | New riding for 2015 |
| Inuvik Twin Lakes | 42.41% | acclaimed |
| Inuvik Boot Lake | 42.23% | 83.88% |
| Yellowknife Centre | 38.26% | 35.43% |
| Yellowknife South | 33.14% | acclaimed |
| Range Lake | 31.55% | 36.09% |
| Frame Lake | 27.56% | 29.96% |
| Great Slave | 27.15% | 40.06% |
| Kam Lake | 25.08% | 30.95% |
| Monfwi | acclaimed | 87.19% |