Babaamaajimowinan (Telling of news in different places)
Babaamaajimowinan (Telling of news in different places)
NOTICE OF ELECTION
WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2024
PURSUANT TO RESOLUTION NO. 05-2024
TO ELECT FOUR DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM, ONE EACH FROM THE PONEMAH, REDBY, RED LAKE AND LITTLE ROCK DISTRICTS OR UNTIL A SUCCESSOR IS DULY ELECTED, TO THE RED LAKE TRIBAL COUNCIL, RED LAKE BAND OF CHIPPEWA INDIANS; AND TO VOTE ON ANY REFERENDA SUBMITTED BY THE RED LAKE TRIBAL COUNCIL.
TO: MEMBERS OF THE RED LAKE BAND OF CHIPPEWA INDIANS
Notice is hereby given of an election to be held by secret ballot on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, to elect four District Representatives for a four year term, one from the Ponemah District, one from the Redby District, one from the Red Lake District and one from the Little Rock District to serve on the Tribal Council of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians. This announcement is made in accordance with Article V of the Revised Constitution and By-Laws of the Red Lake Band and Chapter 1800 of the Tribal Code as revised in Resolution No. 121-2021 of May 11, 2021. The incumbents are Glenda Martin, Ponemah District Representative; Allen D. Pemberton, Redby District Representative; Robert Smith, Red Lake District Representative and Michelle Barrett-Cobenais, Little Rock District Representative.
Any enrolled member of the Red Lake Band 18 years of age and over on election day shall be entitled to vote in this election.
Any eligible voter 25 years of age and over on election day shall be eligible to become a candidate for District Representative from her/his District provided requirements of the Election Code regarding candidates are met.
An eligible candidate to run as a district representative, shall have been a bona fide resident of the district s/he is to represent for a period of one year preceding the election date.
Anyone who has been removed for any reason from the Tribal Council, shall be ineligible to become a candidate in any Tribal Election. Anyone who has been convicted or is under indictment for a criminal felony offense shall be ineligible to become a candidate in any Tribal Election.
Pursuant to and in accordance with the Referendum of May 15, 1996, where there are two or more candidates for any office, a candidate must win a majority of votes to be elected. If no candidate achieves the required majority, a run-off election between the candidates with the two highest vote totals shall be conducted.
Candidates must file their notice of candidacy with the Secretary of the Tribal Council beginning Wednesday, February 7, 2024, and no later than Wednesday, February 21, 2024, by 4:00 p.m. Such notice of candidacy shall be in writing, and shall include the candidate's name, age, residence, voting district and certification that he or she has never been convicted of nor is currently under indictment for a criminal felony offense and that he or she has never been removed for any reason from the Tribal Council and shall be signed and sworn to before a Notary Public. Eligibility of candidates will be certified by the Tribal Council at least 60 days before the election date.
A candidate filing for a District Representative position shall pay a filing fee of $75.00. This fee shall be paid at the time of filing.
Election rules and regulations contained within the Election Code provide for a filing period, filing fee, certification of eligibility, etc., and therefore, write-in candidates shall be ineligible and each District Election Board and the General Election Board are hereby instructed not to consider, list or count votes for write-in candidates.
The candidates in the election receiving a majority of votes shall serve for a term of four years on the Tribal Council or until the successor is determined.
Polls will be open between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. at the following Reservation district polling places:
PONEMAH COMMUNITY CENTER
REDBY COMMUNITY CENTER
RED LAKE COMMUNITY CENTER
LITTLE ROCK COMMUNITY CENTER
Lists of eligible voters will be posted throughout the reservation at least 75 days before the election. Reservation districts and boundary lines for the districts are those defined in Section 6 c Article V of the Revised Constitution and By-Laws.
The Secretary of the Tribal Council or authorized Representative will send a form to be used in requesting a ballot to each non-resident whose address is known with this election announcement.
After at least five days following the posting of duly filed and eligible candidates, members on the resident voter list who for any reason have requested and changed from resident to absentee voter list with the Secretary of the Tribal Council or authorized Representative who personally appear at the office of the Secretary, or authorized representative, may vote by signing for and casting their ballots then and there, Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. In addition, the absentee ballot committee shall make itself available on the weekend days of Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to receive in person absentee ballots in the Red Lake Tribal Government Center, Red Lake, Minnesota, during the last two weekends prior to the election.
Absentee ballots must be mailed to and received by the Chairperson, Absentee Ballot Committee, P.O. Box 544, Red Lake, MN, 56671, on or before 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, on election day.
The absentee ballot committee shall make itself available two days before the election in Minneapolis, Duluth and Bemidji, Minnesota, for the purpose of distributing and accepting absentee ballots from non-resident voters who are unable to mail their absentee ballots for whatever reason.
Members of the Absentee Ballot Committee will be available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Monday, May 13, 2024, at the following location:
RED LAKE EMBASSY - MINNEAPOLIS
RED LAKE URBAN OFFICE – DULUTH
OSHKIIMAAJITAHDAH OFFICE – BEMIDJI
The Tribal Council will appoint District Election Boards who will serve on the Reservation to conduct the resident election at each polling place on election day. No person other than the district election board members and poll watchers as provided for in the Election Code shall be allowed in the room during the counting of the ballots. The Supervisors of each District Election Board and the Absentee Ballot Committee Chairperson will constitute a General Election Board who shall certify the results of the election. The General Election Board shall publish and post the results of the election in each voting district, and in other public places throughout the reservation for the information of the Tribal members.
Only a candidate, and no other person, may challenge the correctness of the certified results of an election in which that candidate ran for elected office and then only for the office that he or she sought. Any member of the Red Lake Band voting in the election, and no other person, may challenge the correctness of the announced results of a referendum election. All challenges must strictly comply with all applicable provisions of the Tribal Code, Chapter 1800.
In the event there is a need for a run-off election, such election shall be held within sixty (60) days, exclusive of the five (5) day contest period, and exclusive of a reasonable period of up to ten (10) days for the consideration of any contest. The Run-off date will be set by the Tribal Council.
FOR: 10
AGAINST: 0
Darrell G. Seki, Sr., Chairman
I, the undersigned Secretary of the Red Lake Tribal Council, hereby certify that the above Notice of Election was duly presented and approved at a duly held Regular Tribal Council Meeting held on Tuesday, January 9, 2024 with a quorum present, at the Red Lake Government Center, Red Lake.
Samuel R. Strong, Secretary
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