June 30, 2010 –
MAYETTA: Tribal members can now view online the profiles of candidates who are running for one of the twelve seats in the Tribal Council/Gaming Commission election. Click on the Summer Issue in http://www.pbpindiantribe.com/potawatomi-news.aspx and go to the election section on pages 11-17.
In the Tribal Council election two members have filed for chairperson including Theresa L. Jessepe Murray and Steve “Mon-wah” Ortiz. For secretary, Dawn “Sogi” LeClere, Jim “Wabaunsee” Potter, Paul Vega, and Noah Wahquahboshkuk are vying for a position and for Tribal Council person # 1 are Juanita Jessepe, Warren “Junior” Wahweotten and “Nis” Susie Wilbur. The Gaming Commission has one spot available and candidates running for that seat are Anna Boswell, Rey Kitchkumme and Jona Potts-Rupnicki. Terms served will be for four years each.
As of today 574 ballots have been received at the Mayetta Post Office, according to the Postmaster. Ballots were mailed to registered voters on June 10 and voters have until 9 a.m. on July 24 where the ballots will be counted in an open meeting (tribal members only) at the Bingo Hall. Votes will be tabulated electronically.
Voncile Mitchell, who heads the elections board, reported that some of the voting packets previously mailed have been returned and she urges those registered voters who did not receive their packets to submit a change of address form to Member Services as soon as possible. Forms can be downloaded athttp://www.pbpindiantribe.com/member-services.aspx#elections or requested by fax at 785.966.3917. Please allow one to two weeks for mailing in your ballet after it is received.
If no candidate wins by a majority vote plus one, there will be a run-off election that will follow four weeks after the election. The two candidates who receive the highest number of votes in the first election will face each other in a run-off election in order to determine a winner. In the chairperson election, however, since there are only two candidates running, whoever gets the highest number of votes will win regardless of the majority vote rule.
The Election Board shall issue the unofficial election results immediately after the conclusion of the tabulation and any protests must be filed within three business days following the election.
Tribal Council consists of seven members who are housed in the PBPN Government Center and the Gaming Commission has five members whose offices are located at the Prairie Band Casino & Resort. For more information about the election process call Member Services at 785.966.3911.