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The Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe will hold a general election Feb. 12, following approval by the Fallon Business Council Wednesday night.
The decision comes after a week of debate concerning the election date, collection of absentee ballots and election monitoring.
A forum involving council members, the Tribal Election Committee and concerned tribal members was held Monday following an outcry for public input in the election at an Oct. 26 council meeting, where a Feb. 26 election was proposed
"All parties agreed that the election code needs to be worked on in its entirety," Election Committee Chairman Linda Noneo said in a prepared statement.
After conferring with tribal attorney Steve Chestnut, the Fallon Business Council set the election date for next year, Treasurer Susan Willie said. Chestnut determined the section in the tribal constitution regarding a 2004 election was not an ironclad statement that the election must be scheduled this year.
The Fallon Business Council voted to stick with automated tabulation of votes through Automated Election Services instead of a handcount.
"The automated can be flawed in ways, but in the last election, the election committee did a good job," Vice Chairman Len George said.
Former council member candidate Rulan Stands argued that a handcount would save money and eliminate distrust among the tribe.
Absentee ballots will be mailed upon request, instead of mailed to every registered voter like the Sept. 25 election. The ballots will be delivered to tribal offices, verified by the TEC chairman, a member of law enforcement and the tribal secretary and placed in a locked ballot box as before, according to the revised election code.
A paid election monitor from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Nevada Indian Commission, another Northern Nevada tribe or another third party will observe all pre and post-election activities. The monitor will be selected by the business council and paid $400.
The Fallon Business Council made few compromises, former tribal secretary candidate Laura Nihoa said.
"I'm not really happy with it," Nihoa said. "The majority of the tribal members requests were ignored. People want to be heard. But the council, for the first time in a long time, sat down and listened to us."
A new election was ordered Oct. 1 after tribal judge Gene O'Brien declared the Sept. 25 general election null and void following a violation by the election committee. The committee admitted to violating Title 14 of the election code by mailing absentee ballots to all registered tribal voters from the office of Automated Election Services in Albuquerque, N.M. instead of from the reservation.
The Sept. 25 election cost $20,030.41, according to a memo from Treasurer Nevada Iversen. A budget for the Feb. 12 election has not been finalized.
Josh Johnson can be contacted at jjohnson@lahontanvalleynews.com
The decision comes after a week of debate concerning the election date, collection of absentee ballots and election monitoring.
A forum involving council members, the Tribal Election Committee and concerned tribal members was held Monday following an outcry for public input in the election at an Oct. 26 council meeting, where a Feb. 26 election was proposed
"All parties agreed that the election code needs to be worked on in its entirety," Election Committee Chairman Linda Noneo said in a prepared statement.
After conferring with tribal attorney Steve Chestnut, the Fallon Business Council set the election date for next year, Treasurer Susan Willie said. Chestnut determined the section in the tribal constitution regarding a 2004 election was not an ironclad statement that the election must be scheduled this year.
The Fallon Business Council voted to stick with automated tabulation of votes through Automated Election Services instead of a handcount.
"The automated can be flawed in ways, but in the last election, the election committee did a good job," Vice Chairman Len George said.
Former council member candidate Rulan Stands argued that a handcount would save money and eliminate distrust among the tribe.
Absentee ballots will be mailed upon request, instead of mailed to every registered voter like the Sept. 25 election. The ballots will be delivered to tribal offices, verified by the TEC chairman, a member of law enforcement and the tribal secretary and placed in a locked ballot box as before, according to the revised election code.
A paid election monitor from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Nevada Indian Commission, another Northern Nevada tribe or another third party will observe all pre and post-election activities. The monitor will be selected by the business council and paid $400.
The Fallon Business Council made few compromises, former tribal secretary candidate Laura Nihoa said.
"I'm not really happy with it," Nihoa said. "The majority of the tribal members requests were ignored. People want to be heard. But the council, for the first time in a long time, sat down and listened to us."
A new election was ordered Oct. 1 after tribal judge Gene O'Brien declared the Sept. 25 general election null and void following a violation by the election committee. The committee admitted to violating Title 14 of the election code by mailing absentee ballots to all registered tribal voters from the office of Automated Election Services in Albuquerque, N.M. instead of from the reservation.
The Sept. 25 election cost $20,030.41, according to a memo from Treasurer Nevada Iversen. A budget for the Feb. 12 election has not been finalized.
Josh Johnson can be contacted at jjohnson@lahontanvalleynews.com
