The special election to fill a vacancy on the Tribal Executive Board is currently being prepared, though the date is uncertain.
Tribal Operations Manager/Secretary Accountant Megan Gourneau said the Tribes have no less than 50 days from declaring the vacancy to set up a special election.
Former councilman Grant Stafne recently resigned from his elected office to seek out a career with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. As of press time, he is the Deputy Superintendent of the Fort Peck BIA Agency.
His departure means his seat must be filled by the next person who received the most votes in the Tribal Elections. However, this time there are two eligible candidates to fill his seat and they are tied on the official and final election vote count.
According to the final count of the 2021 Tribal Elections, candidates and former TEB members Dana Buckles and Kaci Wallette both received 449 votes. The Tribes Constitution states any vacancy remaining open for any reason can be settled with a special election.
Gourneau said the date for the election is not set. There are a number of things that must be handled internally before issuing a special election proclamation.
