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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2017)
S moke S ignals SEPTEMBER 1, 2017 23 'I am still not sure what happened to the ballots' ELECTION continued from front page Mike Portwood, who is a member of the Chief Tumulth family, said his two daughters did not receive their original ballots mailed by Automated Election Services of New Mexico. He received his Tribal ballot in the regular mail in early August, he added. Portwood said he worked with Election Board member Dan Stro- ebel to get everything fixed and his daughters received their re- placement ballots via an overnight mailer on Aug. 23. “I am still not sure what hap- pened to the ballots,” Portwood said. “We didn’t move. We’re at the same address we have been at for the last 14 years.” Debi Anderson, who is also a member of the Chief Tumulth fami- ly, said the last five missing ballots for her family were delivered by Friday, Aug. 25. “Some family had to call the Elec- tion Office three times to receive a ballot, and we hope these types of issues will be resolved in the future,” she said. “It was certainly problematic as first, but I do think that we have all of our family handled now,” Wilkin- son said. “The lack of a centralized Election Board Chair Deanna Johnston said the biggest problem she sees is Tribal members who have moved, but failed to notify Member Services of their new address. database sure seems to be the root of the problems.” Election Board Chair Deanna Johnston said the biggest problem she sees is Tribal members who have moved, but failed to notify Member Services of their new address. The Election Board, like Smoke Signals, downloads Tribal member addresses from Member Services’ database. On Monday, Aug. 28, approxi- mately 60 returned ballots were sitting on Johnston’s desk in the Election Board office located in the Community Center. “We always tell people that if their information has changed in the last six months to let us know,” Johnston said. Johnston said Election Board members with the assistance of Tribal Attorney’s Office staff have been proactive in trying to resolve any issues regarding missing bal- lots. Registered Tribal voters who have not yet received a ballot should contact the Election Office at 503-879-2271 before Thursday, Aug. 31. After Tuesday, Sept. 5, there is not sufficient time to over- night a ballot and get it returned in time, so Johnston suggests that Tribal members walk in from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, and re- ceive and cast a ballot at the Tribal Community Center, 9615 Grand Ronde Road. She also cautioned that Tribal voters who are going to place their ballots in the mail collection boxes at the Grand Ronde Post Office do so by Friday, Sept. 8. Ballots dropped off on Saturday morning may not be delivered in time to the Election Board to be counted. In addition to voting for three Tribal Council candidates, Tribal voters are being asked to weigh in on three advisory votes with a com- bined seven questions. A “yes” vote means the voter is recommending Tribal Council consider the specific topic or action. The first advisory question, which is yes or no, asks if the Tribe should consider investing in Elder mar- ket-rate units in Tribal housing. The second question asks if the Tribe should consider investing in the cannabis industry and gives voters three options: medical mar- ijuana, recreational marijuana or hemp? The final advisory vote asks if constitutional enrollment require- ments should be amended to do a possible three things: • Remove the requirement that the applicant be born to a parent who was a Tribal member at the time of the applicant’s birth? • Remove the requirement that the applicant be born to a parent who was a Tribal member at the time the application is filed, if still living? • Or replace the requirement that an applicant have 1/16th Grand Ronde blood as defined as all Indian blood derived from an ancestor on the Restoration Roll with the pre-1999 amendment re- quirement that an applicant have 1/16th Indian blood and descend from a member of the Tribe? Winners will be announced after ballots are counted on Saturday, Sept. 9. David Lewis for Tribal Council Independent Experienced Straight-Forward Stronger Together dgl.coyotez@gmail.com Facebook.com/DavidLewis4TC I am honored to be endorsed by: Cheryle Kennedy #1 Deborah Cuthbert #459 Margaret Provost #645 Joseph Brisbois # 871 Brenda Tuomi #1438 Adrianne Llaneza #1715 Shelley Hanson Sneed #1779 Janet Carpenter #1975 Valerie Alexander #2274 Monty Parazoo #2620 Be�y Bly #3544 Be�y Reed #302 Karen McCutcheon #461 Kathy Tom #817 Angie Blackwell #1089 Terri Warren #1445 Marcella Selwyn #1721 Denise Harvey #1874 Lewis Younger #2084 Sequoia Raya #2313 Tracie Meyer #2776 Ann Lewis #3983 Evelyn Seidel #308 Larry Lewis #462 Chips Tom #818 Julie Brown #1327 Jon George #1631 Terry Boerckel #1751 Andy Jenness #1936 Kathleen George #2093 Deneise Bill #2448 Debi Anderson #3264 Russell Wilkinson #4099 Leadership is a sacred responsiblity, granted by the community David G. Lewis Santiam, Takelma, Chinook This Land is Our Heart Paid political ad
