By Bryan Eneas

Lac La Ronge Indian Band amending Election Act

Jul 30, 2018 | 4:03 PM

Leadership and executive members of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band is looking at amendments to their election documents.

The Election Act is used in band elections to dictate how officers and election staff are to conduct their business in the voting process for chief and council. It was last revised in 2016.

The band’s legal team is currently reviewing and revising the document. The next version will be presented during to band members throughout August and again in September.

Documents posted on the Lac La Ronge Indian Band’s website indicate officials will host meetings in Prince Albert and Saskatoon on August 21; presentations will be hosted in Little Red and Hall Lake on August 22 and again on August 23 in Stanley Mission and La Ronge. The first round of meetings concludes on August 24 in Grandmother’s Bay and Sucker River.

“All comments, questions and concerns raised at these meetings will be included in the next draft of the Election Act raised with chief and council,” a memorandum issued by Woodward & Company and published on the band’s website read.

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Once comments and concerns have been collected, another round of community meetings will begin; those gatherings are expected to take place during the week of Sept. 10 to 14 according to the Woodward & Company release.

“Notice of date, time and locations will be posted in each community and all members are welcome to attend,” the release read.

Approval process could lead to vote

Following community meetings, the band plans to present their final draft of the new election act to band membership to approve.

In order to make an educated decision, members of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band will send information packages in the mail to off-reserve members, and distribute the same packages to on-reserve members to review for three months.

“This package will include the proposed Election Act and instructions on how to approve it,” the Woodward & Company information sheet read.

If, after the three month waiting period, no member has requested a vote on the matter, the Election Act will be put into place ahead of the March 2020 band election.

If a band member requests a vote, ballots will be cast on Treaty Day, 2019. If a majority vote in favour, the act will be put in place ahead of the 2020 band elections. If the act is not voted on favourably, the current Election Act updated in 2016 will be used in the next band election.

The third draft of the new election act published on the band’s website features a few proposed changes to the Election Act.

In the event winners of a chief or council position tie, a byelection will be called or chance could solve the matter.

“In the event of a tie vote for chief [or councillor], all candidates that are in the winning position and are tied will have the tie decided by a byelection or coin toss or the Chief Electoral Officer placing the names into a hat and blindly picking one,” the draft document read.

Gladys Christiansen, the Lac La Ronge Indian Band’s Executive Director, was listed as the contact to speak to with questions or concerns but was unavailable for comment by deadline.

Bryan.Eneas@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @BryanEneas