2016 Yukon Liberal candidate Tamara Goeppel charged under Elections Act

The Whitehorse RCMP have charged Tamara Goeppel, the Liberal candidate in the Whitehorse Centre riding in the November territorial election, with three offences under the Yukon Elections Act.

• Two counts: Aiding or abetting persons in making proxy applications that were not in accordance with Section 106 of the Act;
• One count: Inducing persons to falsely declare on proxy applications that they would be absent from the Yukon during the hours fixed for voting.

Section 106 was repealed in 2015, with the provision that the 2016 election would be the last time it applied.

The police say Goeppel is scheduled to appear in Yukon territorial court on Feb. 28.

The RCMP said they received correspondence during the election campaign from Yukon's Chief Electoral Officer regarding possible offences under the act. They said the charges are the result of their investigation.

A downtown resident told CBC he was asked by Goeppel to cast a proxy ballot for someone he did not know. He said Goeppel told him the person felt too "intimidated" to vote.

• Liberal candidate defends use of proxy votes for marginalized people
• Yukon NDP leader calls on Tamara Goeppel to step aside, as RCMP investigates proxy votes

Goeppel told CBC she was working with vulnerable people downtown and trying to make their voice heard.

"They don't vote especially, not regularly, yet their plight is something that is very close to my heart," she said.

The punishment for offences under the Elections Act are fines of not more than $5,000 and/or imprisonment for not more than one year.

Goeppel was defeated in the Whitehorse Centre riding by incumbent and NDP leader Liz Hanson.