Peguis First Nation election was put at risk, chief says

With Peguis First Nation's 2023 election days away, changes are being made after the advanced ballots were declared null and void.

The election, set for April 6, will be a one-day voting process in the First Nation, Winnipeg and Selkirk.

This comes after the chief and council announced last month that all ballots cast in advance polls were declared null and void and burned by the local fire department.

The reason for this decision was there were concerns the election had been put at risk.

The nation's independent election administer, OneFeather Mobile Technologies, said there were risks after a disturbance which created an unsafe environment for poll workers.

"At the end of the (advanced) poll come 7:45 p.m. there was an onrush of people…that wouldn't allow the electoral officers leave with the ballot boxes," said Peguis First Nation Chief Glenn Hudson. "The authentication of that process was broken."

Hudson said OneFeather has the option to restart or cancel the election completely if they feel there are problems related to the vote. In this case, they have restarted the election, meaning all those who voted in the advanced polls will be required to vote again for their vote to count.

"I am concerned about the democracy and the ability of people's rights taken away.

"The fact of the matter is democracy was stripped of people that had cast their ballots and it was stripped by a small group of people. But fortunately, we had arrived at solutions to allow ballots to be cast once again."

If there are no other concerns brought forward before the election, Hudson feels this will be a fair election.

CTV News has reached out to OneFeather for comment but there has been no response.

Voting will happen between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. on April 6. The voting location in Winnipeg is at the Hilton Hotel at 1800 Wellington Avenue in Peguis First Nation at the Peguis Community Hall and in Selkirk at 240 Main Street.

"Selkirk and Winnipeg Ballot boxes will be secured and transported to Peguis First Nation Community Hall after the closing of the polls in Selkirk and Winnipeg. The counting of ballots will occur at Peguis First Nation Community Hall after polls close on April 6, 2023," the First Nation said on its website.