Recount request denied

Observer Staff

11/14/2001 12:00:00 AM

The recent Saginaw Chippewa's Nov. 6 general election is official.

A recount of District 1 ballots would not take place, according to the Saginaw Chippewa Caucus Committee following a Nov. 9 meeting. No protests were filed over how the election was conducted.

District 1 Tribal member Phillip Peters Sr., who currently serves as chief, submitted a request for a ballot recount on Nov. 7 following a perceived discrepancy between his ballot number and the number displayed by the Optech tabulator or "voting machine."

"When I voted yesterday, I understood the number on my ballot to be 154 and that when I used the voting machine the number that read out was 164," stated information from Peters' letter to Tribal Clerk Terri Rueckert. "I was concerned about the discrepancy and sought answers from one of the Caucus Committee members...I didn't find her response to have resolved my concerns.

"If this warrants a ballot recount or some other process under Tribal law, please consider this my request to proceed with a ballot recount or other process."

Caucus Committee Chairman Joe Sowmick stated during the Nov. 9 meeting in the Tribal Operations Old Senior's Room, that the letter from Peters was not an election protest. Election candidates and voters had to submit a written notice of protest to Rueckert by Nov. 9 at 5 p.m. to contest the results. On Nov. 13, Rueckert said no protests were filed.

Requests for a ballot recount, however, could be submitted up to Nov. 13 at 5 p.m. Peters' request fell under Ordinance 4, Sect. 20, "Contesting Ballot Count."

"Any member of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe voting in the election may contest the results of the election within seven (7) days following the posting of the election results," according to Ordinance 4, Sect. 20. "A member contesting the results of the election shall prepare a written statement with the Committee. The Committee shall consider the request of the contesting member and may order a recount of ballots should it be deemed justifiable."

The Caucus Committee decided by mutual consensus that a recount of the ballots would not change the outcome of the election.

"Tribal members were allowed to come in and watch the results," stated Rueckert in regards to the recent election. "If we did another ballot count it would be the fourth time those ballots had been counted."

Although the committee agreed not to issue a ballot recount, the community was invited to openly review the ballot verification form. Peters was not present during the Caucus Committee meeting. The committee assured Peters in a Nov. 9 letter a recount would not resolve his particular concern with his ballot.

"Throughout the election, the ballot count was checked and verified," stated the letter. "Further, the Tribal community was welcome to view the election process and no concerns were voiced during the election. We will, however, offer the Tribal community an open review of the ballot verification form."

To further provide accurate information, the Caucus Committee decided to open the District 1 Lock Box that had been sequestered in the Tribal Police Evidence Room and remove the ballot verification form, or ballot account sheet, and Peters' voters verification form. The ballot account sheet was made public while Peters' form would only be given for his viewing.

"We're doing this for his own piece of mind and our response to what his questions were," explained Rueckert.

Upon retrieving Peters' form, Rueckert commented that, "Phil's number wasn't what he was claiming he had."

After copies were made of the retrieved documents, they were once again secured in the District 1 Lock Box and returned to the care of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police.

"It was an honest election and all of us worked together," stated committee member Michelle Dayson. "The Tribal members that were able to come Tuesday watched the election process. It was a good opportunity for any Tribal member-Mr. Peters could have come and reviewed the count as well."