WHITEHORSE – Yukon’s election will be held on Nov. 3, and while Friday was the last possible day the vote could be called under the territory’s legislation, none of the three main parties have a full slate of 21 candidates.
Liberal Premier Mike Pemberton, who’s had the job since June, asked Commissioner of Yukon Adeline Webber to dissolve the 35th legislative assembly on Friday.
Voters will have to elect members in 21 ridings for the first time, up from 19, and 15 have new boundaries after a commission recommended changes last year.
The New Democrats and Opposition Yukon Party have candidates in 20 of 21 ridings, while the Liberals have six spots to fill, with only one member, Speaker Jeremy Harper running for re-election.
The parties have 10 days from Friday to add to their candidates list.
Pemberton kicked off his election campaign in Carcross on Thursday, telling a crowd that the election is about making a difference in people’s lives.
The Yukon Liberals had a minority government with eight members and was operating with an agreement with the three NDP members. The Liberals have been in power since 2016
The Yukon Party also elected eight members in 2021, serving as the opposition. It’s leader, Currie Dixon, said his party is the only one that can offer change.
New Democrat Leader Kate White said her members have been knocking on doors for months and are hearing concerns about access to health care and high costs.
Ken Coates, a retired Yukon University professor, said Friday that he expects a “dramatic” election as parties spend the next month trying to sell their vision for the future of the territory.
Coates, who taught Indigenous governance and now splits his time between the Yukon and Saskatchewan, said having no current ministers seeking re-election for the governing Liberals means a “clean slate” no matter which of the three main parties wins power.
“I think people are going to be having to look very carefully at the candidates, think very carefully about the policies and programs that they have in place, and try to think very carefully about what kind of future they envision for the Yukon, because there’s no clarity at this point,” he said.
“It’s going to be absolutely fascinating in this election to see what kind of vision these three parties have for the future.”
All three parties have promised to focus on housing, health care and the rising costs of living in the territory during the campaign.
Coates said the Yukon Party is concerned about topics like the size of bureaucracy and the budget, while the Liberals want to defend their legacy and programs created when they were in power.
“In the last election, you had a situation where the Liberal party and the NDP were relatively close on a lot of issues. It wasn’t surprising that they could reach a collaboration agreement that lasted for quite some time,” he said.
“You wouldn’t say the same thing about the NDP and the Yukon Party. They’re kind of miles apart, and so there’s a lot at stake.”
Coates said the Yukon Liberals’ struggle to fill their slate could be a sign of trouble.
“Right now, it’s a bit of a vote of non-confidence in the Liberals. They should take it very seriously,” he said.
Both opposition parties have experienced members running again, Coates noted.
The parties will have to be cautious about making lofty financial promises, he said.
“We’re facing a situation where the federal government’s budget is in serious difficulty. We’re expecting broad cuts and things of that nature,” he said.
“The investment the government talks about at the federal level is going to other directions, not so much coming to the Yukon. So, we could be heading into a pretty tough time.”
More than 36,000 Yukon residents are eligible to cast a ballot in the election next month, which will also include a non-binding vote on electoral reform.
Voters will be asked if the method of electing members of the legislature should change from the current system of first past the post to a ranked vote.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2025.
