‘Sad day for democracy’: Peguis burns advance poll ballots

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This article was published 03/04/2023 (927 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

All ballots cast in an advance poll for the Peguis First Nation election have been declared null and void — and burned by its local fire department.

In a series of notices on the Manitoba community’s social media, First Nation leadership declared — “due to the recent events that have transpired” — ballots cast for chief and band council March 28 at Peguis were to be publicly destroyed March 31.

Advanced polls planned for Winnipeg (March 30) and Selkirk (March 31) were cancelled.

Instead, all member voting will now take place April 6 at Peguis Community Hall, the Hilton Hotel in Winnipeg (1800 Wellington Ave.) and Selkirk (240 Main St.).

In a notice on the Peguis First Nation’s Facebook page, under the subject “Election Ballot Box Burning,” it says: “Peguis Fire Department will be burning the ballot box in front of community hall at 1 p.m. today (March 31). The ballots are null and void and will be destroyed for members to witness.”

“I didn’t witness the burning,” Chief Glenn Hudson said Monday.

“That was a sad day for democracy in Peguis. I will state that openly. To clear the air: the electoral officer requested it be done.”

Tensions in the community some 170 kilometres north of Winnipeg were already high, after it became public a receiver in Ontario is suing the First Nation for almost $170 million in loans and interest.

Earlier this year, the current leadership released an audited statement showing it had unilaterally decided to write-down the amount owing to $25 million — with the auditor cautioning the report was completed without many receipts and documents.

On Monday, Hudson, who is running for re-election against two challengers, said the ballot burning and polling changes occurred after the independent election administrator, Victoria-based OneFeather Mobile Technologies Ltd., voiced concerns voting veracity may have been put at risk.

“Certain candidates, led by (chief) candidate Stan Bird and 269 (Silent No More local advocacy) group, they didn’t allow the ballots to leave the community hall,” Hudson said. “We certainly have to have a clear and responsible process.”

Bird, a clinical and school psychologist with the Psychological Association of Manitoba, providing services to several First Nation schools in Manitoba and Alberta, said the ballots were never in any danger.

On Monday, Bird said several Peguis elders were concerned about a plan to have the March 28 ballots and boxes leave the reserve, and went to the community hall to argue against it.

An earlier social media post to the community said the ballots were going to be taken to a secure location at a U-Haul facility in Winnipeg, before being returned to the reserve to be counted with all others on election day.

“We always kept the ballot boxes in the community centre before, but they wanted to put them in a U-Haul (facility)?” Bird said. “Trust is not high in the community. There is a lot of mistrust. This does nothing to get the trust of the people.

“It is important for the membership to keep the ballots here. All we want to a free and transparent election and let the people decide.”

No representative from OneFeather could be reached for comment.

On its website, the firm says it is an Indigenous technology company working since 2014 to help Indigenous people and nations with banking solutions, a truth centre for digital Indigenous sovereign identity and data, and election and voting services.

Hudson said once voting is finished at all three locations 8 p.m., April 6, the ballot boxes in Winnipeg and Selkirk will be secured and taken to the First Nation’s community hall, where all ballots will be counted.

Peguis is the largest First Nation in Manitoba, with a population of more than 10,000 members.

Hudson was first elected chief in 2007, and was re-elected in 2009, 2011, 2013, 2017 and 2019.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca