Robert Van Gunten Tribal Council Statement



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Memo To: Interested Parties

From: Robert Van Gunten

Date: 07 January 2005

Subject: Little Shell Tribal Elections of 2004-Discussion Points

The Question: Should the Tribal Council certify or nullify the election of 2004. The following are some of the talking points to assist in the Tribal Council's decision.

Irregularities in the voting process:

  • Low voter turnout that may be attributed ot the following:

      Limited Polling sites in Montana.

      Election information distributed through Internet as primary means to infomr tribal membership of the election process.

      Delay in distribution of absentee ballots, which resulted in extension of deadline to requests voting ballots and the election committee to receive the ballots.

      • The question of the elected chairman being the father of the elected sec/treasure position.

      • The question of the election committee allowing a self-admitted felon to be put on the voting ballot

      • The election committee allowing voting ballots to be faxed into the tribal office, with a number of ballots having the same control number, some of these ballots were received and delivered to the election committee by a council member who was running for re-election.

      • The election committee extending time for ballots to be faxed to the tribal office with the current election results known by the membership.

      • The establishment of the "Council of Elders" to resolve a protest against the election committee's decision to allow a self-admitted felon to reamin on the voting ballot. The use of a "Council of Elders" is a foreign concept to the Little Shell Tribe and was used to resolve this issue.

      • The transportation of an unsecured ballot box to the election committee by a councilmen running for re-election.

      • The addition of two out of state polling sites; the out of state voting sites is a foreign concept to the election process (Historically).

      • An amendment to the constitution/by-laws being placed on the ballot by the election committee, without complying with the process required by the constitution/by-laws.

    The above points are only to presented as issues that I feel should be considered by the council prior to certifying or nullifying this election.