Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) says its voucher program to incentivize voting in its elections is here to stay.

The organization representing Inuit in Nunavut gave out $100 vouchers to Inuit beneficiaries who voted in NTI’s 2024 presidential elections, as part of a trial that’s now permanent.

NTI’s chief executive officer, Kilikvak Kabloona, said the vouchers helped bump up voter turnout to 66 per cent – up from 18 per cent in the 2022 vice-president elections. 

“Voting is a societal good and we do want people to get into the habit of voting. And our board has approved a policy, so we will now be doing this program for every election,” she said. 

In 2024, most vouchers were redeemed at local Co-op stores and select Northern stores. But in the upcoming presidential byelection on May 27, which was triggered by the resignation of Jeremy Tunraluk, there’s new criteria for where to spend that cash.

Businesses can apply to be a recipient of the vouchers if they’re a registered Inuit firm and can meet NTI’s voucher validation process, and they must also have a physical presence in at least one Nunavut community. That means an office, showroom, or retail store where customers can review the products for sale. 

The requirement for businesses to be Inuit-owned would exclude Northern stores, but Kabloona believes there are multiple eligible businesses in most communities, including Co-op stores, should they choose to apply.

Tara Qunngaataq Tootoo Fotheringham, president of the Kivalliq Chamber of Commerce, welcomes that rule, but she takes issue with the requirement that eligible businesses must have a brick-and-mortar location. She believes there are many Inuit businesses operating solely online that will be excluded. 

“It should be up to the people, it should be up to the Inuit, to decide where they want to spend that voucher,” she said. 

Fotheringham also believes allowing people to redeem their vouchers online could help stretch each dollar. For example, people could use the vouchers to make larger purchases via sealift, which could bring down the cost of food.

Kabloona said there are several reasons behind the need for businesses to have a physical presence – one being that NTI wants to keep the benefits within Nunavut. 

“There are a lot of people who don’t have credit cards, and so those people wouldn’t be able to shop online. So we’re really interested in making sure the jobs and the benefits stay in the communities,” she said. 

For those living in the south, Kabloona said NTI will send voters a $100 cheque or a bank deposit, just as it did in 2024. 

She realizes some Nunavummiut may prefer that option as well, but it’s not feasible to get everybody’s banking information before the May byelection. However, she said that’s something NTI is exploring for future elections.

Kabloona said the funding comes from resource revenues from the development of Inuit-owned land, and she believes it is sufficient to sustain this program going forward. In 2024, she said there were roughly 23,000 eligible voters, meaning the voucher program would cost the organization $2 million in vouchers if every person voted.