Northwest Territories residents head to polls after wildfire delayed earlier vote

Residents of the Northwest Territories are heading to the polls Tuesday, more than a month after the election was originally set to be held.

The election had been scheduled for Oct. 3, but was delayed because of a wildfire season that saw about 70 per cent of the territory’s population under evacuation order.

Legislature members voted unanimously to delay the election during a late August session held in the town of Inuvik, with the capital Yellowknife and its roughly 20,000 residents still under an evacuation order at the time.

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Premier Caroline Cochrane announced in September that she wasn’t running for re-election.

Sixteen seats are being contested, while three candidates have been acclaimed.

After the vote, the 19 legislature members will elect a premier, six other cabinet members and Speaker from their own ranks.