Membership lists are the critical first document of every election because they inform the creation of the Electors list (you know, the voters list – the members who get to vote in the upcoming election). The creation of and management of the electors list falls directly to the Chief Electoral Officer, but the membership list is the responsibility of the First Nation or Indian and Norther Affairs Canada (INAC) depending on the type of First Nation election.
In creating the electors list the Chief Electoral Officer will typically ask for the following member/elector information: last name, first name, middle name(s), alias, date of birth, status/registry number, mailing address, phone number and confirmation of residency ‘on’ or ‘off’ reserve. A current electors list is clearly an essential document in engaging the Nation through the election processes, sharing important information and their participation, in particular in nominating candidate(s) and voting!
In the elections that I have conducted, on average as many as 30% of notices and documents sent to electors are returned undelivered as a result of members moving and not updating their First Nation with new contact information…or the First Nation having poor systems and practices in place to manage membership lists effectively.
Membership lists irregardless of who is ultimately responsible for their management always fall to the First Nation and members to update with current information. If the list is maintained by INAC then members should inform their First Nation of current contact information like: mailing address, phone number, email, etc – the First Nation then advises INAC of the updates. Certain static information like date of birth and status registry number of course never changes. If the First Nation manages their own membership lists then INAC is simply removed from the process.
Ultimately however it falls to the member to keep their contact information current with the First Nation, and the First Nation has a responsibility to maintain/update the official member registry accordingly. During the election cycle it is not the Chief Electoral Officers duty or responsibility to seek out members with absent or incorrect contact information – like a current mailing address. Quite the contrary in fact, the Chief Electoral Officer is typically only required to send documentation to the last known mailing address for those electors provided by the First Nation, generated through membership list, at the start of the election process or as defined by the election regulation!
Despite the members or electors perception, and even expectation, it is never the mandate or authority the Chief Electoral Officer to seek out and find missing contact information of electors. This is solely the domain of the Member and the First Nation!
Of course, during the election cycle the Chief Electoral Officer should advise the First Nation of any member/elector contact information which is updated by the elector so that following the election the First Nation has updated contact information on its members. This happens as a natural course of the business of the election as word gets out that notices and mail in ballot packages are reaching members, and not others. Again, though the Chief Electoral Officer has no mandate to seek out members to gather or confirm correct mailing/contact information.
My Vote Counts…
Membership lists are often a point of contention between members and the First Nation, and there is no shortage of reasons and blame for why a membership list may be out of date or incomplete. From a simple premise of good governance and responsibility to its people the First Nation should make every best effort to maintain a current and functional date base of member information – and each First Nation depending on their governance model will have some mandate and provisions for doing so.
In the final analysis though the ultimate responsibility lies with the member to ensure that their contact information is current, and failing the ability of the First Nation to do its job, inform the Chief Electoral Officer during the election cycle of current contact information. This is not ideal of course, but given the nature of our familial contacts and social media and the moccasin telegraph – you should never be in a situation where you did know an election was underway.
Remember – the Chief Electoral Officer is a 3rd party contractor that has no vested interest in any candidate or the outcome of the election. They are there to deliver a fair and properly executed election process – and serve the electorate to ensure this. Do not hesitate to contact them during an election to ensure your participation and that your vote counts!
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Lawrence Lewis
“When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty. ” – Thomas Jefferson
About Lawrence Lewis
I do a number of things professionally...but most of all and the true purpose of what I do through "my work" is to provide for my family, be a good husband and great father, and try to make a difference as a world citizen...I guess it's not much more complicated than that 🙂