7 sNok signflz SEPTEMBER 15, 2023 Voter turnout was 29 percent ELECTION continued from front page member of our Tribe my all, equal- ly. I will do my best to help our Tribe continue to advance in a pos- itive direction for the betterment of us as a whole. I simply can't thank you enough." Leno, 54, won her third consecu- tive three-year term on Tribal Coun- cil, finishing first with 873 votes. “I would like to thank our mem- bership for your love and support, and allowing me to serve you for the next three years,” she said. “I am committed to work hard with our people to address the issues that impact us all.” Mercier, 48, captured his sev- enth-term on Tribal Council and will tie former Chairman Reyn Leno as the second longest-serving Tribal Council member at the conclusion of his term in September 2026. Mercier, who was first elected to Tribal Council in 2004, finished second with 602 votes. “As always, I am grateful to be trusted by the members,” he said. “But the votes indicate that folks want to see some form of change, and we need to be mindful of that moving forward.” Other challengers in this year’s election were Veronica Montano, 37, the Tribe’s Budget Coordinator and former manager of the Member Services Department; and Chris Bailey, 46, a Tribal Cultural Pro- tection Specialist. Both were first-time candidates. Bailey finished with 420 votes and Montano finished with 349. “I want to thank all the peo- ple that supported me this year,” Bailey said. “Though the results weren't what I was hoping for, I'm still looking forward to the future and will continue to provide service to our people in other ways. Con- gratulations to the winners and I am hopeful that they will lead us with wisdom and compassion.” “I would like to congratulate this year’s winners,” Montano said. “This was a great learning opportu- nity, and I appreciate all of the help that I received along the way. Most importantly, I want to say thank you to all of the Tribal members who supported me this year. I am beyond grateful for your support and encouragement. I would also like to say thank you to all of the other Tribal members who voted.” This year marked the 10th con- secutive year of single-digit candi- dates running for Tribal Council. The last time 10 or more candidates threw their proverbial hats in the ring was in 2013. Turnout was 29 percent with 1,295 ballots cast from 4,457 adult Tribal members. It marked the third year in a row that turnout dipped below 30 percent. Winners were sworn into office at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13, in the Governance Center Atrium. Also on the ballot were five advi- sory votes. The results were: • Should the Tribe change the cur- rent enrollment requirements? SEPT. 9, 2023, ELECTION RESULTS CANDIDATES FOR COUNCIL LISA LENO CHRISTOPHER MERCIER MATTHEW HALLER 873 602 585 MICHAEL LANGLEY CHRISTOPHER BAILEY VERONICA MONTANO 584 420 349 ADVISORY VOTE QUESTIONS QUESTION # 1 Should the Tribe change the current enrollment requirements? YES - 772 NO - 324 QUESTION # 2 Do you support the Tribe moving toward lineal descendancy for enrollment? YES - 716 NO - 380 QUESTION # 3 Do you support the Tribe in moving toward a 4/4 blood quantum applied to a specific roll or date for enrollment? YES - 458 NO - 595 QUESTION # 4 Do you support repealing and replacing the 1999 constitutional amendment require- ments including: parent on the roll at the time of application, parent on the roll at time of birth and the Indian blood tied to the Restoration Roll ancestor requirement? YES - 627 NO - 421 QUESTION # 5 What constitutional amendment election would be your top choice for Tribal Council to pursue next? (A) Lineal descendancy (B) 4/4 blood quantum (C) Repealing and replacing the 1999 constitutional amendment requirements including parent on the roll at the time of application, parent on the roll at time of birth and the Indian blood tied to the Restoration Roll ancestor requirement (D) None of the above? (A) Lineal descendancy - 421 (B) 4/4 blood quantum - 194 (C) Repeal and replace - 156 (D) None of the above - 162 Total eligible voters – 4457 • Total ballots cast – 1295 Total percentage of eligible voters – 29% Graphic created by Samuel Briggs III 772 yes and 324 no. • Do you support the Tribe moving toward lineal descendancy for enrollment? 716 yes and 380 no. • Do you support the Tribe moving toward a 4/4 blood quantum ap- plied to a specific roll or date for enrollment? 458 yes and 595 no. • Do you support repealing and replacing the 1999 constitutional amendment requirements includ- ing parent on the roll at the time of application, parent on the roll at time of birth and the Indian blood tied to the Restoration Roll ancestor requirement? 627 yes and 421 no. • What constitutional amendment election would be your top choice for Tribal Council to pursue next? Lineal descendancy, 4/4 blood quantum, repealing and replacing the 1999 constitutional amendment requirements includ- ing parents on the roll at the time of application, parent on the roll at time of birth and the Indian blood tied to the Restoration Roll ancestor requirement; or none of the above? Lineal descendancy, 421; 4/4 blood quantum, 194; re- peal and replace, 156; and none of the above, 162.