This is a list of territorial elections in the Northwest Territories, Canada, since 1870. The Northwest Territories operates on a consensus government using the First Past the Post electoral system. The territory does not presently recognize political parties.
The last election was held on November 14, 2023.
Voting and consensus government
Northwest Territories elects members to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories under a non-partisan system known as consensus government. The election only decides who represents each district. The newly elected members of the assembly convene after the election to vote amongst themselves to decide which members become part of the Executive Council.Making sense of consensus government CBC Radio clip October 22, 1985 accessed April 13, 2006 This system of government has evolved in the Northwest Territories since 1870.
The voting method to elect members is the first-past-the-post electoral system. Voters under this system pick the top candidate by the number of votes cast regardless of the per cent of votes earned by a candidate. With a few historical exceptions all electoral districts in the Northwest Territories are represented by a single member. First Past the Post has been used since the first election in 1881. Elections NWT is the independent regulatory body in charge of overseeing elections.
History of elections
The Northwest Territories has been through a number of distinct changes in how the territory is governed and how government has been selected. These changes have coincided with several major boundary changes since the Government of Canada acquired the territory in 1870.Territorial evolution in Canada accessed April 13, 2006 From 1870 to 1876 the North-West Territories was run by an interim government, first led by lieutenant-governor William McDougall, and a council appointed by Ottawa. This council was governed under the Temporary Government of Rupert's Land Act, 1869 and the Manitoba Act, 1870 The council itself sat in Manitoba and was made up of Members of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly.History of Northwest Territories in Confederation April 13, 2006
In 1876 the Temporary Council was dissolved and a new council was appointed under the North-West Territories Act. Members could be elected to join the council if an area of had 1,000 inhabitants. The first such electoral districts were created in 1881.Electoral Districts created by proclamation Northwest Territories Ordinances 1881 accessed April 13, 2006 According to the Act, when the council reached twenty members, it would gain control of territorial affairs from the crown. The Council achieved this requirement in 1886. The council was renamed to an assembly and was dissolved in 1888. Twelve elections to rotate and elect members to new districts were held during the period between 1876 and 1888.Election Results and Dates 1876 - 1905 from Saskatchewan Archives accessed April 13, 2006
Five general elections would occur between 1888 and 1905, as the territories underwent significant growth. In 1897 after an amendment to the North-West Territories Act, the territories experienced a short-lived period of partisan politics that led to the North-West Territories Liberal-Conservative PartyElection Results by party printed in the Calgary Herald various dates May 1902 being elected in the fourth and fifth elections until 1905. The government in this period was made of members from the populated regions in the south. No members from the Arctic region would sit in government until 1947.History of the Northwest Territories from the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly accessed April 13, 2006 In 1905, Alberta and Saskatchewan were carved out of the North-West Territories. As a result, the population dropped from approx 160,000 to 17,000, of which 16,000 were aboriginal and had no right to vote under Canadian law. The government of the North-West Territories defaulted back to its 1870 constitutional status, and once again came under federal control. This period of the second council, which governed from Ottawa, lasted from 1905 to 1951.
In 1951, the second council was dissolved in order to return to elections. Rather than being fully elected body, the Councils and Assemblies were a mix of elected and appointed members. After 1975 the Assembly became fully elected. In 1999 the Northwest Territories underwent one last division as the territory of Nunavut was created out of the eastern half of the territory.
The boundary changes have resulted in a disconnect in four periods of the territorial government. The records of the temporary council falls under the archives of the Manitoba government, while the archives and electoral records of the period of government from 1876 to 1905 were retained by the Saskatchewan government. The archives of the council from 1905 to 1951 are under the Canadian Government who appointed the council from that period.
List of elections
Date General elections andBy-elections prior to 1888 Assembly # elected Elected leaders Capital cityTemporary North-West Council, no elections from 1870 to 1876AppointedLieutenant GovernorFort Garry1st Council of the North-West Territories, no elections from 1876 to 1881Fort LivingstoneMarch 23, 1881Lorne by-electionElections prior to 1888 were held 3 years from the last in each district, or upon creation by the Lieutenant Governor or vacancy.1st Council1BattlefordMay 29, 1883Edmonton by-election1June 5, 1883 Lorne by-election1August 13, 1883Moose Jaw by-electionRegina by-electionQu'Appelle by-election3August 31, 1883Broadview by-election1June 28, 1884Calgary by-electionMoose Mountain by-election2ReginaSeptember 15, 1885 1885 election11July 8, 1886 Moose Mountain by-election1July 14, 1886Calgary by-election2October 14, 1886Qu'Appelle by-election1May 24, 1887 Qu'Appelle by-election2September 5, 1887Macleod by-election1June 30, 18881st general election1st N-W Assembly22Chairman: Robert BrettNovember 7, 18912nd general election2nd N-W Assembly25Chairman: Frederick HaultainOctober 31, 18943rd general election3rd N-W Assembly28November 4, 18984th general electionThe fourth and fifth general elections were the only general elections elected on party lines.4th N-W AssemblyLib-Con. 7Premier: Frederick HaultainOpposition: Robert BrettLiberal 2Ind. 18Ind. Lib. 3Ind. POI 1May 21, 1902 5th general election5th N-W AssemblyLib-Con. 21Premier: Frederick HaultainOpposition: Donald McDonaldLiberal 7Ind. 6Ind. Lib. 1September 1, 1905Creation of Alberta and Saskatchewan2nd Council of the Northwest Territories, no elections 1905–1951AppointedCommissionerOttawaSeptember 17, 19516th general election1st NWT Council3September 7, 19547th general election2nd NWT Council4August 19, 19578th general election3rd NWT Council4September 19, 19609th general election4th NWT Council4March 31, 196410th general election5th NWT Council4July 4, 196711th general election6th NWT Council7YellowknifeDecember 21, 197012th general election7th NWT Council10March 10, 197513th general election8th NWT Assembly15October 1, 197914th general election9th NWT Assembly22Premier: George BradenNovember 21, 198315th general election10th NWT Assembly24Premier: Richard NerysooOctober 5, 198716th general election11th NWT Assembly24Premier: Dennis PattersonOctober 15, 199117th general election12th NWT Assembly24Premier: Nellie CournoyeaOctober 16, 199518th general election13th NWT Assembly24Premier: Don MorinApril 1, 1999Creation of NunavutDecember 6, 199919th general election14th NWT Assembly19Premier: Stephen KakfwiNovember 24, 200320th general election15th NWT Assembly19Premier: Joe Handley October 1, 2007 21st general election 16th NWT Assembly 19 Premier: Floyd Roland October 3, 2011 22nd general election 17th NWT Assembly 19Premier: Bob McLeod November 23, 2015 23rd general election 18th NWT Assembly 19 October 1, 2019 24th general election 19th NWT Assembly 19 Premier: Caroline Cochrane November 14, 2023 25th general election 20th NWT Assembly 19 Premier: R.J. Simpson
See also List of Alberta general elections List of Saskatchewan general elections List of Nunavut general elections List of Yukon general elections List of Northwest Territories Plebiscites
Notes
References
External links Government of Northwest Territories Elections Northwest Territories Northwest Territories Elections Act Councils and Assemblies of the Northwest Territories dates and photos from 1951 to present Personnel of Northwest Territories Assembly 1888 - 1905