Eligibility.
In order to be eligible for candidacy in the election, an individual must be at
the time of filing Candidacy Application Form:
ü
An enrolled
member of the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe; and
ü
At least 21
years of age.
Disqualifying
Criteria for Candidacy:
No member of the Election
Board shall be eligible to be a candidate in the current election, even if that
individual shall resign from the Election Board prior to Election Day.
No member of the
Sauk-Suiattle Trust Corporation shall be eligible to be a candidate in the
current election (see SSIT Trust Corporate Charter).
Application
In order to declare intent to be a candidate, an individual must submit (via
mail or hand delivery) a signed, notarized,
Candidacy Application Form
(available at the Tribal Administration Office or in this Election Notice
Packet) to the Election Board at the following address:
Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe
ATTN:
Election Board
5318 Chief
Brown Lane
Darrington,
WA 98241
The Candidacy Application Form
will contain a statement that the candidate declares, by signing the Form, that
he/she does not hold membership in another tribe. The Candidacy Application Form
will also contain a statement that the candidate authorizes, by signing the
Application Form, the Enrollment Clerk to disclose all relevant information
relating to verification of Enrollment and date of birth.
Candidacy Application Forms submitted via mail must be post marked on or before
Friday,
October 19, 2007
Certification
The Election Board shall consult with the Enrollment Clerk to verify the
enrollment status and date of birth of each candidate seeking to run for office.
Falsification of enrollment information, knowingly or unknowingly, shall be
grounds to prohibit the certification of candidacy and the subsequent
opportunity to hold official office on Tribal Council.
On October 24, 2007 the Election Board shall post the Certified Candidates
List.
The Election Board will send written notification to the candidates by overnight
mail the same day the Certified Candidates List is posted.
If the Election Board has determined that an Applicant is not eligible and
denies such Application, the notice sent shall contain a statement explaining
the basis for denial and explaining the procedure for appeal as described in
Section 6.05.
Notice
to Voters of Certified Candidates
The Election Board shall mail the Certified Candidates List to all persons on
the Eligible Voter List on the same day the candidates are certified. The
Certified Candidates List shall also be posted that same day at the following
locations:
Sauk-Suiattle
Social Service Building, Sauk-Suiattle Tribal Administration Offices,
Sauk-Suiattle Education Department Building, Sauk-Suiattle Longhouse,
Sauk-Suiattle Office of Law Enforcement,
Location Address:
5318 Chief Brown Lane
Darrington,
WA 98241-9420
Sauk-Suiattle
Natural Resources Building
“Big Shop”
Location Address: Mile
Post 47.1 SR Hwy. 530
43724 SR 530
Arlington,
WA 98223
Bureau of Indian
Affairs
Location Address:
Puget Sound Agency
3006 Colby Avenue
Everett,
WA 98201
Appeal of
Certification Denial
Any Applicant not included on the Certified Candidates List may appeal the
Election Board’s decision to the Tribal Council.
An appeal must be in writing, state the basis on which the individual should be
included on the list, and be received (either by mail or hand delivery) by the
Tribal Council Secretary no later than November 2, 2007 after the Certified
Candidates List was posted.
The Tribal Council shall hold a hearing on any properly submitted appeal on
November 6, 2007. At the hearing the Election Board Chairman will present the
reason for denial of candidacy. The Applicant appellant will be given the
opportunity to speak on his or her own behalf.
At the conclusion of the hearing, the Tribal Council shall, by resolution,
either affirm the decision of the Election Board or order that the Applicant be
added to the Certified Candidate List. In either case, the Tribal Council shall
immediately give written notice of its decision (in the form of the resolution)
to the Election Board and the Applicant.
Withdrawal from
Candidacy
A candidate may withdraw from an election candidacy by submitting a signed and
notarized statement requesting removal from the Certified Candidates List and
the ballot.
If a candidate withdraws after certification of candidacy notice of withdrawal
shall be posted prominently at the polling place and shall be mailed to all
eligible voting members.
Failure of any voter to receive actual notice of a candidate’s withdrawal shall
not be grounds from an election protest provided the Election Board complied
with the notice required of this section.
If the notice of withdrawal is received after absentee ballots have been sent,
the withdrawn candidate’s name will still be on the ballot. In that event, any
vote cast for the candidate shall not be counted but such vote shall not
invalidate the entire ballot