Nominations close for Yukon school board elections

Nominations for two Yukon school boards are now closed.

Before Nov. 7, parents and educators from the Commission scolaire francophone du Yukon and the newly formed First NationSchool Board will eachchoose their next five board members.

This is the first election for the First NationSchool Board, andthe first election cycle where Yukoners will be able to vote online.

Last November, eight Yukon schools voted to join the First Nation School Board. Twelve people have put their names forward for the five spots.

One prominentcandidate on the ballot is Dana Tizya-Tramm, the current chief of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation.

His coworker, Charyl Charlie, is another candidate on the ballot. Charlie, according to the First Nation's website, works as an implementation adviser.

There are three educators from the Champagne andAishihik First Nations who are on the ballot: Erin Pauls, Millie Joe and Sean Sheardown.

Jocelyn Joe-Strack, the Yukon University's first research chair in Indigenous knowledge, is on the ballot.

Gillian Staveley, a member of the Liard First Nation who works with the Dena Kayeh Institute, is a candidate from the southern part of the territory.

Lynne Raita is also listed as a candidate.

Four more candidates put their names in just before noon:

• David Johnny Sr., an elder from Beaver Creek.
• Shadelle Chambers, the executive director of the Council of Yukon First Nations.
• Christine Pottie, an education support co-ordinatorfor the Elijah Smith Elementary School.
• Dawn Waugh, director of education and social development at Kwanlin Dn First Nation.

Here are the candidates running for the Commission scolaire francophone du Yukon:

• Myriam Bougie
• Giuseppe Fico
• Jesse Cook
• Jean-SbastienBlais
• Jessica Masson Guerette
• VroniqueMaggiore

Online voting a first for Elections Yukon

Maxwell Harvey, Yukon's chief electoral officer, told CBC that they decided to introduce online voting to make the process more accessible.

ButHarvey said there is a lack of standards in the territory something that needs to be fixed.

"Confidence in the results and the process is essential, not only for the electors but the companies that deliver it," Harvey said.

For now, Harvey said the Yukon is using corporate standards from Simply Voting, a Montreal-based online voting system, for the upcoming board elections.

The Yukon and the N.W.T. are working together to create new guidelines for online voting, Harvey continued. Those should be available by the spring.

Polling day is Nov. 7 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. in person. Results from the election will be posted the next day.