1 GUKEYEH GUK’EH GU’SANI Kaska Dena National Election Code Prepared for Presentation to Annual General Assembly August 12, 13 and 14, 2008

2 Kaska First Nation persons who are sixteen years of age on polling day and whose names are on the list of voters are eligible to vote at a National election a person who is eligible to vote as provided in the National Constitution does not lose the right to vote if absent from Kaska Dena Kayeh a candidate who is twenty one years of age and whose name is on the list of voters is eligible to run for the office of National Gudesdeje a candidate who is twenty one years of age, a woman, and a member of the Mesga Dena Clan is eligible to run for the office of the Mesga Dena Clan Women’s Representative

3 a candidate who is twenty one years of age, a woman, and a member of the Tsyone Dena Clan is eligible to run for the office of the Tsyone Dena Clan Women’s Representative a candidate who is twenty one years of age, a man, and a member of the Mesga Dena Clan is eligible to run for the office of Mesga Dena Clan Men’s Representative a candidate who is twenty one years of age, a man, and a member of the Tsyone Dena Clan is eligible to run for the office of Tsyone Dena Clan Men’s Representative a candidate who receives the highest number of votes at a Kaska National Election will be the National Gudesdeje Election Committee will consist of five members who are eligible voters of which at least one member shall be from each Kaska First Nation

4 Government will appoint a Chief Returning Officer who will not be an eligible voter who will report to the Election Committee Chief Returning Officer will conduct his or her duties an impartial manner Chief Returning Officer will post copies of the Notice of Election, and the list of voters received from the Election Committee in each community where voting will take place not later than three days after the Notice of Election Returning Officer will post the final list of voters with the names of all voters eligible to vote in the election listing the names of eligible voters in alphabetical order of each Kaska First Nation

5 election period will be as follows: a.Election day on a Monday not less than thirty-one days after the date of the Notice of Election with voting from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm b.Nomination day twenty-one days before election day and nominations received from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm c.Revisions of the list of voters on the 18 th and 19 th days before election day from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm d.Declaration of the official results at 10:00 am on the 13 th day after election day notice of election shall be posted in all communities where voting will take place and published in newspapers which are distributed in Kaska Dena communities each Kaska First Nation will provide the names of its citizens who are eligible to vote to the Election Committee for posting in the Kaska National Election List of Voters

6 each Kaska First Nation will provide its list of voters to the Election Committee within fourteen days of a selection of the Election Committee Members at a Kaska Dena National Assembly Election Committee will prepare a list of all persons who are eligible to vote in the election and will provide that list to the Chief Returning Officer for posting as soon as it is prepared the list of voters will be posted in one or more conspicuous places and each Kaska First Nation each candidate is entitled to receive one copy of the revised list of voters not later than seventeen days before an election day

7 a nomination paper will be completed on the form provided by the Election Committee and shall contain the following: a.The name of the candidate b.Position c.Names, addresses and signatures of not fewer than fifty voters d.Witnessed e.Declaration of agreement to provide Election Committee proof of no convictions of indictable offences within the previous five years Chief Returning Officer shall appoint a Deputy Returning Officer for each polling station Chief Returning Officer to appoint a Poll Clerk to assist Deputy Returning Officer

8 special ballot papers will be delivered to voters who are: a.Unable to vote in person on election day or b.A prisoner in a correctional facility or a patient in a hospital an interpreter will be appointed by the Chief Returning Officer to assist a voter to understand the directions for marking a ballot paper the following people are the only people entitled to be present and remain in a polling place or within 25 meters of the entrance of a polling place during the hours of voting: a.Deputy Returning Officers b.Poll clerks c.Candidates d.One representative of each candidate

9 e.Interpreters f.Poll attendants g.Chief Returning Officer each candidate is entitled to appoint in writing to the Chief Returning Officer one or more persons to represent the candidate at mandatory meetings called by the Chief Returning Officer candidate representatives are entitled to observe but not interfere in the voting process, confirm a voter’s name and witness the ballot count no person will interfere or attempt to interfere with the voter while marking a ballot paper Chief Returning Officer to ensure that the polling station is open from 8:00 am until 8:00 pm

10 voting procedure on an election day to be as follows: a.Voters will announce their names to the Deputy Returning Officer at the polling station b.Poll clerk will confirm that the voter’s name is on the list and draw a line through it and provide the ballot paper to each voter a voter who is not able to read or incapacitated by blindness or other physical cause may be assisted by Deputy Returning Officer at the close of polls the Deputy Returning Officer will in front of not more than five witnesses count the number of votes Deputy Returning Officer will advise Chief Returning Officer of the number of votes and will place all election documents in envelopes including list of voters in a ballot box, seal it, and transmit it to the Chief Returning Officer

11 Deputy Returning Officer will prepare sufficient copies of the statement showing the results as follows: a.Number of votes for each candidate b.Number of voters c.Number of ballots d.Number of rejected ballots e.Number of spoiled ballots f.Number of unused ballots copies must be delivered to each candidate, each Chief of a Kaska First Nation, to the Chief Returning Officer and to the Election Committee unofficial results on election day will be announced by the Chief Returning Officer following the counting of the ballots at all polling stations

12 in the event of a tie between candidates the Chief Returning Officer to recount votes no later than seven days after election day a voter may request a recount not later than fourteen days after election day the Chief Returning Officer will declare the elected candidate who has received the greatest number of votes the Election Committee will deliver to the National Executive the official results not later than twenty-one days after the election day there will be a Kaska Election Adjudicator consisting of one person named by the Chief Returning Officer who is acceptable to the Executive and to Elders Council

13 an election appeal may be lodged by presenting in writing together with a non-refundable fee of $75.00 by anyone who has reason to believe that there was a corrupt practice in connection with the election or there was a violation of the rules and regulations that might have affected the result of the election