Unofficial Secretarial Election Notice

The secretarial election process to determine if the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians adopts an amended constitution creating a three separate co-equal branch government is under way. Here are a set of dates to keep an eye on starting next week with election packet mailings and going through tabulation night on Nov. 19.

Beginning Sept. 23, secretarial election notice packets will be sent via U.S. Mail to the mailing addresses of Sault Tribe citizens who are 18 years of age or older on or before Nov. 19, 2026. These packets include copies of the proposed amended constitution, the Constiution, and voter registration forms. Voter registration forms must be returned to the Secretarial Election Board no later than 2 p.m. EDT on Oct. 19.

The only way to participate in this secretarial election is by returning your registration form on time by U.S. Mail. If you are eligible to vote and do not receive your packet, you should contact the Secretarial Election Board chairman or a board member.

Following the deadline to receive voter registration forms on Oct. 19, the initial Registered Voters List will be posted at the Sault Tribe Governmental Office and at the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Michigan Agency in Sault Ste. Marie. The lists are expected to be posted by 4:30 p.m. EDT or shortly thereafter on Oct. 19.

Sault Tribe citizens may challenge the inclusion, exclusion or omission of a name on the Registered Voters List. These written challenges must be submitted to the Secretarial Election Board Chairman no later than 4:30 p.m. EDT on Oct. 22 and must include the name of the affected individual or individuals, the reason why the name in question should be added or removed from the Registered Voters List, and supporting documentation. If an individual failed to submit their registration form on time, that person is precluded from challenging their own omission from the list. The Final Registered Voters List will be posted on or about 4:30 p.m. EDT on Oct. 23 at the Sault Tribe Governmental Office and the BIA, Michigan Agency.

Shortly after the Registered Voters List is finalized, a Mailout Ballot Packet will be sent by U.S. Mail to each registered voter on Oct. 26. These packets will include instructions on how to submit your ballot. They must be returned by U.S. Mail by Nov. 19 at 3 p.m. EDT or for one day only they may be hand delivered to the DreamMakers Theater at Kewadin Casino in Sault Ste. Marie between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Remember, you will be voting “yes” or “no” on if the Constitution will be amended to create three separate and equal branches of government. This will be the only question on the ballot.

Ballots will be opened and countered beginning at 4 p.m. on Nov. 19 at the DreamMakers Theater. Following the counting, election results will be posted on or about Nov. 19 at the Sault Tribe Governmental Office and BIA, Michigan Agency.
Registered voters may challenge the results of the election with a written challenge that includes substantiating evidence. These challenges must be received by the Chairman of the Secretarial Election Board by Nov. 24 at 4:30 p.m. EDT. Challenges received after this deadline will not be considered.

If Sault Tribe citizens vote “yes” to adopt an amended constitution, the results of the secretarial election go to the U.S. Department of the Interior for certification. If certified, the amended constitution takes effect establishing a three-branch government for the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Tribal Council would then have up to 18 months to update Tribal laws as required by the newly amended constitution.

The Sault Tribe Governmental Office is located at 523 Ashmun St., Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783. The BIA, Michigan Agency building is located at 2845 Ashmun St., Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783. The BIA’s Nicholas VanAlstine chairs the Secretarial Election Board. The Secretarial Election Board is composed of the following Sault Tribe citizens: Carolyn Dale, Jackie Minton, Colleen Utter, T.J. Derwin, Taylor Spade, Clarence Hudak, and Emily Smith.

For more on the secretarial election and to view the proposed amended constitution visit here.

Proposed 3-Branch Amended Sault Tribe Constitution