Other responsibilities included issuing writs and appointing Chief Returning Officers to oversee each election.

The ordinance required a valid elector to petition the Lieutenant Governor, with an affidavit stating the offense and a fee of $10.00 Canadian dollars to be presented within two months of the writ being returned.

The powers instead came under federal control with the passage of the North-West Representation Act through the Parliament of Canada.

This legislation formed the basis of electoral law that is in current use today in the territories as well as Saskatchewan and Alberta.

[5] The agency was intended to run the 1991 Northwest Territories general election, but was not ready in time.

Among other issues, lack of funding prevented the Legislative Assembly from appointing a resident Chief Electoral Officer.

[8] The agency also ran Nunavut's first by-election held in the electoral district of Quttiktuq on December 4, 2000.

[9] After the general election, David Hamilton, Chief Electoral Officer (NWT) recommended the creation of a similar non-partisan agency for Nunavut.

Amendments in early 2007 entrenched fixed election dates into law and gave the Chief Electoral Officer the power to issue writs on order of the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories.