By Joe Morey News Editor
The LCO Election Committee released the dates for this year’s election cycle, beginning with the nominating caucus at 9:00 am sharp on Saturday, April 5, at the Sevenwinds Casino.
The Primary Election will take place five weeks following that date on Saturday, May 10, with the General Election following another six weeks from that date on Saturday, June 21. Polling locations are at the Tribal Center and New Post Community Center.
The Election Committee release addresses the issue of David Bisonette, tribal governing board member who took his seat on the board only weeks after the June 2023 election when Kelly Nayquonabe resigned her seat she had just won in the election.
Upon advice from the LCO Attorney General Office, the release states, “Article III, Section 8 of the LCO Constitution contains plan and unambiguous instructions for filling a vacant seat on the Tribal Governing Board.”
The constitution states that by any affirmative vote of four of its members shall temporarily fill by appointment until the next regular election any vacancy occurring on the board.
“The inclusion of the word ‘temporarily’, in conjunction with the time limitation until the next regular election, makes clear that the Tribal Members who voted to adopt the LCO Constitution did not intend for the TGB to fill vacancies permanently by appointment,” the release stated.
As a result of the advice, the Election Committee determined that four seats will be up for election this year. Furthermore, the release states that the three candidates with the highest amount of votes will serve out the regular four year term while the fourth highest vote getter will serve out the remaining two years of the vacated seat from the 2023 election.
