District 1 voters to have 19 candidates to select from May 17

Scott Csernyik

4/29/2002 12:00:00 AM

Saginaw Chippewa voters will have 19 candidates to choose from when they head to the polls on May 17 to fill a District 1 vacancy on Tribal Council.

The following individuals have met all criteria stated in Tribal Election Ordinance 4 and are cleared to participate in the special election: Terry L. Bonnau, Genevieve K. Chippeway, Eleanor J. Ebright, John W. Hart Sr., Darryl C. Jackson, Delores K. Jackson, Leslie M. Mills, Gloria Narvais, Angel M. Quintero, Steven J. Pego, Milton C. Pelcher (Beaver), Clinton R. Pelcher, Julius S. Peters, Mark Rueckert, Carol A. Shanks, Dorothy A. Shawano (Coffin), David L. Sowmick, Bernard D. Sprague and Gary L. Sprague.

Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Saginaw Chippewa Public Safety Building for the special election. The vacancy was created after Ruth Moses resigned on March 5.

District 1 Tribal members will need to show their state driver's license or state identification card, as well as their Tribal voter registration card, before being allowed to vote.

As of an April 18 voter registration deadline, there are 524 registered voters in District 1, representing 73 percent of the 722 enrolled adult members.

"From the recent voter registration period, we picked up an additional 25 registered voters for this special election," stated Caucus Committee Chairperson Joe Sowmick. "However, there are 198 Tribal members who have not, for whatever reasons, registered to vote."

There are 2,915 enrolled members of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan, according to information from the Tribal Clerk's Office. District 1 has 1,123 members representing all ages, 54 in District 2 and 1,738 for District 3.

Sowmick has strived to achieve a 100 percent voter registration for all districts over the past several years serving as the caucus chair.

"It's important for everyone's voice to be heard for a truly democratic representation," he explained. "It's a goal the Caucus Committee has discussed before at various meetings and it's something that we will continue to approach Tribal Council on."