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Salt River membership appoints electoral officer Paul Bickford Northern News Services Published Monday, October 17, 2011
On Oct. 12, a membership meeting appointed an electoral officer, who will be responsible for setting the date for a byelection to be held within the next three months. The electoral officer is Fort Smith consultant Lynda Martin, who must not be a band member in accordance with the election code. "The membership authorizes the byelection and then it's the electoral officer who actually sets the date," explained John Carter, the band's chief executive officer. "That's because, once the electoral officer is appointed, the band is completely hands-off with the election. It's done that way for neutrality." The electoral officer runs everything to do with the election, he added. "We're just in the caboose at the end of the train along for the ride." Carter noted the electoral officer will decide all dates in the byelection process, including the nomination deadline and the actual voting day. No one has yet announced an intention to run for the chief's position, he said. "That will come in the fullness of time, I'm sure." The byelection became necessary with the recent resignation of Frieda Martselos, whose last day as chief was Sept. 9. On that day, band council appointed Coun. Gloria Villebrun to serve as acting chief until a byelection is held. The winner of the byelection will serve the just over a year remaining in Martselos' term of office. The Oct. 12 meeting, which attracted 40 band members, also appointed a three-person election review committee, which would be called upon to adjudicate any disputes that may arise after the byelection.
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