TsiigehtchicSA国际影视传媒檚 June 18 chief election was overturned last weekend due to mail-in ballots being sent to out-of-town Gwichya GwichSA国际影视传媒檌n members far too late.

Band manager Larry Dalley wants to make sure the community knows what went on to get to that decision.

SA国际影视传媒淎ccusations are being made on Facebook, that kind of stuff, and I just want to make sure that everybody is clear (on what happened),SA国际影视传媒� says Dalley.

The election had Russel Andre beat incumbent Phillip Blake by one vote, and it fell within BlakeSA国际影视传媒檚 rights to appeal the process if he believed that election rules were not followed.

As it turns out, mail-in ballots, which are supposed to be sent out at least 49 days before the election, werenSA国际影视传媒檛 sent out until just eight days before the election.

Dalley says he also received SA国际影视传媒渟ignificant amountsSA国际影视传媒� of complaints, in writing, from out-of-town voters who didnSA国际影视传媒檛 receive their ballots in time for the election.

After the appeal was made, Dalley was responsible for putting together a four-person emergency election committee to examine and decide on the appeal.

The committee voted unanimously to redo the election, based on the mail-in ballots not being sent out in time and out-of-town community members not getting the chance to vote.

It was a challenge to find people in and around the community who were not members of the band, as is necessary for the committee, says Dalley.

Two people were brought in from Fort McPherson, two were from Tsiigehtchic, and Dalley was the chair. This dynamic, in particular, is something Dalley wanted to explain.

Dalley says his own role, as chair, was limited to presenting the bandSA国际影视传媒檚 election code and the complaints from out-of-town members.

SA国际影视传媒淚 did not have a vote, nor did I contribute to the discussions around whether the election was overturned,SA国际影视传媒� he says, adding that according to the rules, the only time a chairperson could vote would be to break a tie, which was not needed in this decision.

Of the two members from Tsiigehtchic, one was a local store manager and the other was the bandSA国际影视传媒檚 finance manager, which was not ideal but, SA国际影视传媒渜uite frankly, I couldn't find anybody else,SA国际影视传媒� says Dalley. SA国际影视传媒淭hat's the truth of it.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淚 wore out my time trying to find four local people in the community that weren't band members and didn't present a conflict of interest, but I couldn't find them,SA国际影视传媒� he says. SA国际影视传媒淎nd so, this was the next best thing.SA国际影视传媒�

A few things need to happen before the next election is called, to avoid controversy playing out again.

The band doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 have up-to-date contact information for all the out-of-town members, so it has someone who will spend 50 days getting in touch with the members and updating this information.

He says heSA国际影视传媒檚 asked the GwichSA国际影视传媒檌n Tribal Council and Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada SA国际影视传媒� the federal department currently transitioning into separate Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada departments SA国际影视传媒� for help in this.

Dalley says heSA国际影视传媒檚 also requesting the NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 INAC representative to come to the community and help clear up the elections process.

SA国际影视传媒淓very election here has been contested since 2014,SA国际影视传媒� says Dalley. SA国际影视传媒淎nd that has to stop. And me being band manager, that falls within my job description to make sure everything is done correctly.SA国际影视传媒�