Election Board

The CIT Election Board is responsible for conducting and supervising the Tribe’s annual elections for positions on the Tribe’s governing body and assuring these elections are conducted in a fair and efficient manner. The Board works with the Tribe’s Tribal Member Services program.

All CIT elections are administered by the Election Board.  The Election Board consists of three Tribal members and two alternates.  These positions are held for one year and selections are made following the Tribe’s annual nomination meeting.  No person can be appointed to the Election Board if they are: 1.) a candidate for a Tribal Council position; have an immediate family member who is a candidate for a Tribal Council position; 3.) They nominated a candidate for office at the nomination meeting.  All members of the Election Board must be 18 years of age or older. 

The duties of the Election Board include:

• Conducting and supervising Tribal elections
• Developing and making available a form nomination letter
• Providing candidate statements to the Tribe’s newsletter for publication
• Compiling and distributing a voters’ pamphlet to Tribal members.
• Preparing ballots for the election
• Ensuring an updated roll of Tribal members is available for the election
• Mailing numbered ballots to all Tribal members eligible to vote in the upcoming election.
• Receiving, counting and tabulating the ballots at the close of the election.
• Deciding questions of voter eligibility and ensuring ballots are distributed only to qualified voters
• Ensuring adequate record-keeping procedures are followed to provide sufficient information to determine the validity of the election
• Reviewing and investigating any claims of irregularity regarding the election and making findings to these claims
• Requiring a new election be held if it is determined that an irregularity affected to election outcome
• Interpreting ballots carefully and truthfully to voter unable to read or who request assistance
• Reporting to Tribal Council the results of the election and reporting any complaint of irregularity
• Certifying the results of the election
• Monitoring the polling place on election day
• Retaining all numbered ballots including numbered spoiled ballots in a sealed container and under lock and key for one year from the date of each election
• Compiling a list of General Council member phone numbers for nominees for Tribal Council positions