ELECTION NEWS

ARTICLE 1: This article is taken from the Caddo Nation Council Website at http://caddocouncil.org

We, Christine Smith Noah, Mary Pat Clark, Marilyn Threlkeld, Anna Donaghey, LaCreda Weller Daugomah, LaVonna A. Weller and Tommy R. Kionute contest the July 9, 2005 Caddo Tribal Election because the Caddo Election Board, consisting of Teresa Keller, Margaret Francis rico and Dorothy Garrett did not adhere to the ELECTION ORDINANCE - THE CADDO TRIBE OF INDIANS OF OKALHOMA nor the CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS OF THE CADDO INDIAN TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA aka CADDO NATION OF OKLAHOMA as prescribed in the aforementioned governing documents. Based on the irregularities and failure to follow these governing documents, we contest and challenge all positions: Chairperson, Treasurer, Oklahoma City Representative, Binger Representative and Hearing Board.

1) VIOLATION: Allowing LaRue Parker to run for Chairman. Ms. Parker, by her signature alone, signed a bank note, June 8, 2001, indebting the Caddo Tribe (copy enclosed).

DOCUMENTATION: Violation of CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS OF THE CADDO INDIAN TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA - ARTICLE IV - GOVERNING BODY - Sec 4. Qualification of Candidates and Officers. All members of the Caddo Indian Tribe who will have reached the age of twenty-one (21) years or over by the date of the election shall be eligible to become candidates for election to membership on the Tribal Council except those persons convicted in a court of felony, within two (2) years immediately preceding the election or when in office or any Caddo member who is indebted delinquently to the Caddo Tribe in excess of two (2) years (excerpt enclosed).

DOCUMENTATION: Violation of ARTICLE V - POWERS OF THE TRIBAL COUNCIL - Section 1. The following powers of the Tribal Council may be exercised subject to any restriction contained in Federal or State laws, and subhject to the approval of the membership. (e) To borrow money (excerpt enclosed).

DOCUMENTATION: Violation of ELECTION ORDINANCE - SECTION 13. TYPES OF ELECTIONS - 13.A.(3) Qualifications of Candidates and Officers. All members of the Caddo Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma who will have reached the age of twenty-one (21) years of age or older by the date of the election shall be eligible to become candidates for election to membership on the Tribal Council, except those person convicted in court of a felony, within two (2) years immediately preceding the election or when in office, or any Caddo Member who is indebted delinquently to the Caddo Tribe in excess of two (2) years (excerpt enclosed).

2) VIOLATION: Brenda Shemamye Edwards was allowed to file and run for Binger District Representative. Her residence is Weatherford, Oklahoma. Weatherford, Oklahoma is not in the Binger District but int he Absentee status.

DOCUMENTATION: Violation of CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS - ARTICLE IV - Sec. 4. Qualification of Candidates and Officers - Candidates for a postion as District Representative must physically reside within the District they represent (excerpt enclosed).

DOCUMENTATION: Violation of ELECTION ORDINANCE - 13.a.(3) Candidates for a position as District Representatives must physically reside withing the District they represent (excerpt enclosed).

3) VIOLATION: The Official Notice of the Election presented by Teresa Keller, Margaret Francis Rico and Dorothy Garrett did not allow for the sixty (60) days notice before elections of officers 9 see copy of NOTICE posted in newspaper).

DOCUMENTATION: ELECTION ORDINANCE - THE CADDO TRIBE OF INDIANS OF OKLAHOMA - SECTION 3. DEFINITIONS - ELECTION NOTICE - The official notice that an election will be held on a specific date issued by the election board at least sixty (60) days before elections of officers and at least sixty (60) days before elections on issue (excerpt enclosed).

DOCUMENTATION: Copuies of postings by Teresa Keller, Margaret Francis Rico and Dorothy Garrett (copy enclosed).

4) VIOLATION: Teresa Keller, Margaret Francis Rico and Dorothy Garrett changed the Bisger District voting boundries, requiring all Gracement voters to vote in the Binger District for the July 9, 2005 Election (copy enclosed). This allowed voters to cast ballots for the postion of Binger Representative who are not legally registered to vote in the Binger District and for the Binger Representative. This required an ordinance change by the Tribal Council. There was not request to the Council for the changing of District Boundries.

DOCUMENTATION: ELECTION ORDINANCE - THE CADDO TRIBE OF INDIANS OF OKLAHOMA - SECTION 15. AMENDMENTS - The Tribal Council may amend this ordiance by a majority vote of a quorum at any meeting of that body (excerpt enclosed).

5) VIOLATION: Teresa Keller, Margaret Francis Rico and Dorothy Garrett originally posed the Challenge Perof of Candidates to close on Friday, June 3, 2005 (copy enclosed), however, on Friday, June 3, 2005, they posted that the Challenge Period closed on Monday, June 6, 2005. Those wishing to file a challenge were not made aware of the Challenge Period closing of Monday, June 6, 2005.

"Notice proved in the Anadarko Daily News wasw a date of June 30, 2005 as the last day to challenge candidate" (copy enclosed).

DOCUMENTATION: ELECTION ORDINANCE - SECTION 13 - TYPES OF ELECTIONS - 13.a.(4) FILING FOR OFFICE - Any challenge as provided in Section 13.a.(6), shall be submitted to the election baord withing five (5) calendar working days following the close of the filing period (excerpt enclosed).

6) VIOLATION: Binger ballots were sent to the Fort Cobb District and Fort Cobb ballots were at the Binger Polling District. Early voters at the Binger Polling District were told to write in the names of those they were voting for. When the votes were counted, these ballots were not counted.

The early voters at the Fort Cobb Polling Place were given an Absentee Ballot as a means of voting because they did not have a Fort Cobb Ballot to cast their vote. This is in direct violation of the Election Ordiance, Section 8 - Absentee Voting 8.f.

DOCMENTATION: ELECTION ORDINANCE - ABSENTEE VOTING - 8.f. No absentee ballots will be received at any time or by means other than provided for in this section, which is by mail (excerpt enclosed).

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ABSENTEE BALLOTING

11. Do not drop off your ballot in any of the four (4) district polling places. YOUR BALLOT MUST BE MAILED/POST MARKED IN ORDER TO BE COUNTED (excerpt enclosed).

7) VIOLATION: A notice was not given to all registered voters. All absentee voters did not receive notice of the election. Requests were made for an Absentee Ballot but it was never received (copy enclosed).

DOCUMENTATION: ELECTION ORDINANCE - SECTION 8 - ABSENTEE VOTING - 8b - NOTIFICATION - Non Resident Absentee and Permanent Absentee voters shall be notifived by mail of the calling of elections, the issues and/or candidates to be voted on, and shall be advised of the proper manner of voting (excerpt enclosed).

In addition, an additional hearing board members was added after the posting of candidates. (see enclosed).

8) VIOLATION: Voters at the polling places were told after the stub was torn off the ballot to keep the stub. (copy enclosed).

DOCUMENTATION: SECTION 9. DUTIES OF POLL OFFICIALS AND VOTERS - 9.e. After the ballot is so marked, the voter shall tear off the stub and shall fold the ballot so that the printed sides are completely concealed and deposit the folded ballot in the ballot. All stubs shall be depostited in a box provided for that purpose (excerpt enclosed).

9) VIOLATION: All ballots were not consecutively numbered on both the stub and ballot. One voter noted the stub was numbered but the ballot was not numbered.

DOCUMENTAION: SECTION 6. BALLOTS - 6a. FORM OF THE BALLOT At the upper right hand corner of the stub of each ballot, and at the adjacent corner of the ballot, shall be printed or stamped, by a consecu6tive numbering machine the number of said stub and ballot. The stub shall bear the same number as the ballot, and such numbering shall begin with number "1" in each polling place and continued in consecutive order until each ballot and stub for that polling place is numbered (excerpt enclosed).

The early voters at the Binger Polling precinct who voted before the exchange of the Fort Cobb/Binger ballots wrote the name of the candidate they were voting for on the ballot. These ballots were not counted in the counting of ballots. After the exchange, the voter, though there were voters before him/her started with "ballot number 1" at the Binger Polling place.

10) VIOLATION: The $15,000 utilized by Teresa Keller, Margaret Francis Rico and Dorothy Garrett to hold the July 9, 2005 Election was not approved by the legal Caddo Council. A Council Meeting was held on Wednesday, October 27, 2004 at 6:00 p.m., (copy enclosed) to give this $15,000 for an Election. Present at this meeting were LaRue Parker, Chairperson; Joyce Hinse, Vice-Chairperson; Loy Fife, Secretary; Rob Messer, Anadarko Representative; and Frances Kodaseet, Oklahoma City Representative.

This was an illegal action, taken at an illegal meeting, with an illegal Council.

DOCUMENTATION: A Council Meeting was held on April 8, 2003, (copy enclosed) (8 Council Members present) and the Council voted to schedule the Council Meetings for the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month. A Council Meeting was held on May 6, 2003, (copy enclosed) (8 Council Members present) where the April 8, 2003 Council minutes were approved, thus "meetings were scheduled for the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month.

By letter dated March 25, 2004, (copy enclosed) Kirk Meyer, Self-Determination Specialist, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Southern Plains Regional Office, informed LaRue Parker that the Bureau of indian Affairs does not recognize Loy Fife and Robert Messer as valid Council Members.

The Council Meeting was held by Ms. Parker on Wednesday, October 27, 2004, was seven (7) months after the Bureau of Indian Affairs informed her that these two individuals were not recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and they would not consider tham as Council Members to constitute a quorum.

Respectfully Submitted By:

Christine Noah
Anna Donaghey
Mary Pat Clark
LaCreda Daugomah
Marilyn Threlkeld
LaVonna Weller
Tommy Kionute
Raymond Kionute
Laura Jarvis

Carol Swindell is the official Registrar for the upcoming election for the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma and Carol Ross is the Official Secretary of the Election Board, according to the Court of Indian Offenses.

Case No. CIV-04-A43 states Swindell, member Margaret Frances Rico and Ross are the official and duly-appointed members of the Election Committee for the Caddo Nation. The Court ruled the Regional Directors decision likewise shows the three women are the qualified members of the Committee.

The Court of Indian Offenses ordered that no other individual possesses any right, title or interest to claim his or her position to be that of a Tribal Election Committee Member.

The election has been set for September 17, 2005 and four-year terms will be up for election in the office of the Chairman, Treasurer, Binger Representative and Oklahoma City Representative.

Carol Ross added there are five positions on the Caddo Nation Hearing Board which are open for election. If elected, they will serve staggered terms. There is no filing fee for those offices.

The Filing Period for candidates is from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., July 5-11 at the Caddo Tribal Government Center 5 miles east of Binger. Filing fees will only be accepted in the form of a cashier's check.

The polling sites are set in Binger, Anadarko, Fort Cobb, Oklahoma City and the designated post office for absentee balloting. The current voter registration lists will be posted at the polling sites and registration will be open until 10 days prior to the election.

Local registration may be done by calling Registrar Swindell at 405-247-9090 and registration by e-mail is at caddovote2005-register@yahoo.com

ARTICLE 3: This article is taken from the Caddo Nation Council Website at http://caddocouncil.org

E-mail address: caddovote2005-register@yahoo.com

This e-mail address has been set up for registration requests especially. It is a special secure box. We found this to be quicker for those who have a computer. Just send an e-mail to check your registration which was current to July 30, 2003. If you have registered since then, we will ask for an update and that is all there is to it.

If you have just previously registered please be aware that we may not have it.

For those without a computer there is an answering machine dedicated to taking names, addresses and questions. This is in service from 7:30 am to 6 pm Central Standard Time, Monday - Friday. In response, the caller/voter will receive either a call or information/registration forms by mail.

For those who like to write this address has been changed by revision in ordinance (06/14/05) and is now:
Caddo Nation General Election Board
POB 324
Gracemont, OK 73042

Just remember Absentee ballots can only be requested by mail which will be included in the Absentee mailouts after candidates are set. If you e-mail,call or write, then a form will be sent for registration which includes an absentee ballot request.

Any personal information such as birthdates, roll numbers and social security ID numbers are subject to the Privacy act. If you would like to hear from the candidates directly please indicate on your form. This will only be accepted in writing from the absentees to insure that your request for direct candidate information or is not requested is respected.