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2021 Yukon general election

The 2021 Yukon general election was held on April 12, 2021, to return members of the 35th Yukon Legislative Assembly. The election resulted in no majority where the incumbent governing Yukon Liberal Party and the opposition Yukon Party won 8 seats each, while the Yukon New Democratic Party held the remaining 3. As the incumbent party given the first opportunity to form government, a Liberal minority government was sworn in on April 23, 2021. The Liberals and NDP announced the establishment of a formal confidence and supply agreement on April 28, 2021.

During the 2016 election, the Liberals included a commitment in their platform to introduce fixed election dates in the territory. In October 2020, the government introduced legislation to amend the Elections Act and create fixed election dates. The legislation passed in December 2020, and took effect after the 2021 election.

Voter turnout dropped almost twelve percentage points compared to 2016, caused to an extent by the introduction of a standing List of Electors, resulting in a higher percentage of Yukoners being registered. More votes were cast than in 2016, in part due to the territory's strong population growth since the last election.

Results

The final seat standing for the election was only resolved on April 19, 2021, because of a 78–78 vote tie in the Vuntut Gwitchin riding, the territory's smallest by population. After the tie was upheld by a judicial recount, drawing of lots gave the seat to the NDP's Annie Blake, denying the Yukon Liberals a one-seat plurality over the Yukon Party.

Results by Riding

Each candidate stands in a single electoral district.

Bold indicates party leaders and cabinet members are italicized<br> † - denotes a retiring incumbent MLA

Rural Yukon

|- | style="background:whitesmoke;"|Klondike || ||Sandy Silver<br />526 (47.2%) | ||Charlie Dagostin<br />364 (32.7%) | ||Chris Clarke<br />224 (20.1%) || ||Sandy Silver |- | style="background:whitesmoke;"|Kluane | ||Luke Campbell<br />219 (28.0%) || ||Wade Istchenko<br />352 (45.0%) | ||Dave Weir<br />211 (27.0%) || ||Wade Istchenko |- | style="background:whitesmoke;"|Lake Laberge | ||Tracey Jacobs<br />229 (17.8%) || ||Brad Cathers<br />799 (62.1%) | ||Ian Angus<br />259 (20.1%) || ||Brad Cathers |- | style="background:whitesmoke;"|Mayo-Tatchun || ||Jeremy Harper<br />238 (37.7%) | ||Peter Grundmanis<br />186 (29.4%) | ||Patty Wallingham<br />208 (32.9%) || ||Don Hutton†|- | style="background:whitesmoke;"|Mount Lorne-Southern Lakes || ||John Streicker<br />446 (39.0%) | ||Eric Schroff<br />406 (35.5%) | ||Erik Pinkerton<br />292 (25.5%) || ||John Streicker |- | style="background:whitesmoke;"|Pelly-Nisutlin | ||Katherine Alexander<br />97 (13.6%) || ||Stacey Hassard<br />362 (50.8%) | ||George Bahm<br />254 (35.6%) || ||Stacey Hassard |- | style="background:whitesmoke;"|Vuntut Gwitchin | ||Pauline Frost<br />78 (50.0%) | || || ||Annie Blake<br />78 (50.0%) || ||Pauline Frost |- | style="background:whitesmoke;"|Watson Lake | ||Amanda Brown<br />237 (43.1%) || ||Patti McLeod<br />313 (56.9%) | || || ||Patti McLeod

In Vuntut Gwitchin, both candidates each received 78 votes, resulting in a tie. A judicial recount took place and there remained a tie vote. Therefore, a random draw determined that Annie Blake would fill the seat.

Whitehorse

|- | style="background:whitesmoke;"|Copperbelt North | ||Ted Adel<br />346 (25.1%) || ||Currie Dixon<br />717 (51.9%) | ||Saba Javed<br />318 (23.0%) | || || ||Ted Adel |- | style="background:whitesmoke;"|Copperbelt South | ||Sheila Robertson<br />259 (20.3%) || ||Scott Kent<br />726 (57.0%) | ||Kaori Torigai<br />289 (22.7%) | || || ||Scott Kent |- | style="background:whitesmoke;"|Mountainview || ||Jeanie McLean<br />402 (38.2%) | ||Ray Sydney<br />268 (25.5%) | ||Michelle Friesen<br />356 (33.8%) | ||Coach Jan Prieditis<br />26 (2.5%) || ||Jeanie McLean |- | style="background:whitesmoke;"|Porter Creek Centre | ||Paolo Gallina<br />646 (38.4%) || ||Yvonne Clarke<br />704 (41.8%) | ||Shonagh McCrindle<br />334 (19.8%) | || || ||Paolo Gallina |- | style="background:whitesmoke;"|Porter Creek North | ||Staci McIntosh<br />331 (28.9%) || ||Geraldine Van Bibber<br />562 (49.2%) | ||Francis van Kessel<br />250 (21.9%) | || || ||Geraldine Van Bibber |- | style="background:whitesmoke;"|Porter Creek South || ||Ranj Pillai<br />309 (47.2%) | ||Chad Sjodin<br />262 (40.0%) | ||Colette Acheson<br />84 (12.8%) | || || ||Ranj Pillai |- | style="background:whitesmoke;"|Riverdale North || ||Nils Clarke<br />469 (41.7%) | ||Cory Adams<br />280 (24.9%) | ||Vanessa Thorson<br />375 (33.4%) | || || ||Nils Clarke |- | style="background:whitesmoke;"|Riverdale South || ||Tracy-Anne McPhee<br />415 (39.3%) | ||Cynthia Lyslo<br />307 (29.1%) | ||Jason Cook<br />334 (31.6%) | || || ||Tracy-Anne McPhee |- | style="background:whitesmoke;"|Takhini-Kopper King | ||Raj Murugaiyan<br />198 (16.4%) | ||Morgan Yuill<br />244 (20.3%) || ||Kate White<br />763 (63.3%) | || || ||Kate White |- | style="background:whitesmoke;"|Whitehorse Centre | ||Dan Curtis<br />312 (29.5%) | ||Eileen Melnychuk<br />249 (23.5%) || ||Lane Tredger<br />498 (47.0%) | || || ||Liz Hanson†|- | style="background:whitesmoke;"|Whitehorse West || ||Richard Mostyn<br />398 (39.7%) | ||Angela Drainville<br />376 (37.5%) | ||Ron Davis<br />229 (22.8%) | || || ||Richard Mostyn

The Yukon Green Party did not run any candidates in the election; as a result, the party has been deregistered by Elections Yukon.

Incumbent MLAs who were defeated

Opinion polls

Aftermath

The election resulted in a hung parliament, with no party winning the requisite 10 seats to form a majority in the legislature. The Yukon Party and the Liberals, with 8 seats each, entered discussions with the NDP to determine support for a minority government. The Liberals, as the incumbent governing party, were given the opportunity to continue as government and test the confidence of the legislature. The Yukon Party publicly stated that they were not included in any talks to form a coalition government or provide other support to the Liberals, while the NDP did not indicate the content of their leader's discussion with the Liberals. On April 28, 2021, the Liberals and NDP announced a formal confidence and supply agreement to allow the Liberals to form a minority government.

Following the tie vote in Vuntut Gwitchin, which declared NDP candidate Annie Blake as the winner following the drawing of lots, outgoing Liberal MLA Pauline Frost filed a legal challenge challenging the results; Frost initially claimed that two votes had been counted from the district that "should not have been cast." Only one vote was actually formally challenged by Frost in court, on the grounds that as a prisoner in the Whitehorse Correctional Centre the voter should have registered to vote in Whitehorse rather than his home community; the challenge was rejected by Suzanne Duncan of the Supreme Court of Yukon in August, affirming Blake's victory.

Notes

References