M'Chigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island postpones election until May

M'Chigeeng First Nation (File photo)

The M'Chigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island has decided to cancel its upcoming election scheduled for Monday, March 27.

The First Nations’ Election Appeals Committee (EAC) made the decision based on a number of grievances and appeals received due to confusion with nominee requirements related to criminal record checks (CRCs).

The EAC disqualified a number of candidates for failing to comply with the CRC requirements found in the M'Chigeeng First Nation Custom Election Code 2019.

In a news release issued Thursday, the EAC announced that the election would be postponed until May following the confusion.

“EAC members found this section of the Code to be very confusing,” the committee said in the release.

“(It) was causing a lot of the confusion among candidates who had been nominated and other members of the community.”

The new election date is set for May 13, with polls opened from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the M'Chigeeng Community Complex with advanced polls to be held on April 22 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the same location. Ballots for off-reserve voters will be mailed by April 11, according to the release.

“The candidates who were disqualified for not meeting the requirements related to the criminal record check are reinstated,” said the EAC.

• Download our app to get local alerts on your device
• Get the latest local updates right to your inbox

The decision, in the release, states that those candidates that did not meet the CRC requirements must submit a valid CRC dated on or after Feb. 13 by April 8.

“Any ballots cast at the advance poll of Wednesday, March 22, 2023 will be invalid and not counted,” said the committee.

“Any mail in ballots received as of March 23, 2023 will also not be counted.”

As a result, the current Chief and council’s term of office has been extended to May 13.

“The EAC strongly recommends that the new council amend this code to make it clearer to interpret.”

Members of the committee thank the community for their patience during this difficult time.

The full release can be found here.