TIVI Keeps Voting Open When Wildfires Displace Communities
When wildfires displaced up to 70% of the population during the 2023 Northwest Territories election, voter access collapsed overnight. Communities across the territory, many reachable only by air, were cut off from their polling stations. While authorities postponed the election to ensure fair participation, TIVI online voting helped absentee and displaced voters maintain access to the ballot.
For election authorities, the lesson reaches beyond this one crisis. Every commission faces some version of the same question: what happens when voters can’t reach the polls, whether because of distance, displacement, disability, or disaster? The Northwest Territories answered it under the hardest possible conditions.
Turning Disruption into Access
During the Northwest Territories wildfires, online voting gave absentee and displaced voters a secure way to participate when physical infrastructure failed. This translated into measurable impact:
- 42.8% of online voters would not have voted otherwise
- 96.4% were satisfied with the voting experience
- 98.2% would recommend digital voting
Beyond This Election
The Northwest Territories experience shows what online voting can deliver for election authorities facing similar pressures:
- Continuity during crises. Elections move forward even when natural disasters or displacement disrupt normal operations.
- Access for remote populations. Voters in hard-to-reach communities participate without depending on physical infrastructure.
- Reliability when traditional systems fall short. Voting holds up when polling stations, transport, or logistics are compromised.
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