It won't be long before the Fond du Lac Reservation has a new tribal chairman. The general election is set for Tuesday, Jan. 30, and all offices and programs of the reservation will be closed on that day to allow all enrolled members to vote.
The position of tribal chairman was vacated on Sept. 11 when chairman Peter J. Defoe stepped down for undisclosed reasons. That left one unexpired year in his term that needed to be filled. A primary election last fall saw 10 candidates step up to the plate, and the ballot narrowed the field to just two - Karen R. Diver and Clarence "Chuck" Smith.
Voters eligible to vote in the upcoming election must be enrolled members of the Fond du Lac Band and 18 years of age or older.
If an eligible voter is not able to vote at the polls on Election Day due to absence from the reservation, illness or physical disability, he or she is entitled to vote by absentee ballot.
An enrollee wishing to vote on an absentee ballot is first required to submit a signed, written request to do so. The absentee ballot will then be sent to the enrollee and must be filled out and the accompanying affidavit of eligibility notarized before returning both in the enclosed, pre-addressed envelope.
ADVERTISEMENT
The absentee ballot must then arrive at the designated post office box at least one half hour before closing of the post office on Election Day. Any ballots received later than that time will be declared invalid.
Diver has worked for the past three years as the director of special projects for the Fond du Lac Reservation. Smith currently serves as director of human resources for the Fond du Lac Reservation.
Pine Journal Publisher/ reporter Wendy Johnson can be contacted at: wjohnson@pinejournal.com .
