For the remainder of the 2022 Osage Nation election season, one alternate Wahzhazhe Elections Board member is serving after a sitting board member recused herself due to a family member seeking reelection in the Congressional race.
“Belle Wilson has recused herself as of Feb.1,” Election Supervisor Alexis Rencountre announced during the board’s March 15 meeting. “So (first alternate board member) Anita Fields is now a voting member and (second alternate board member) Fred Byers moves into the primary alternate position.”
Wilson’s niece, Alice Goodfox, filed for candidacy seeking reelection for a fourth Congressional term on Feb. 1 when the Congressional candidacy filing term opened. Wilson, who has served as an Election Board member since 2014 after Goodfox won her second term, also recused herself from board duties during the 2018 election season when Goodfox ran for her third term.
The temporary board member shuffle is in accordance with the Nation’s election code on board member recusals to avoid conflicts of interest. The election code also establishes two alternate board members to serve (if needed) on the three-member board in case sitting board members must recuse from service.
Thirteen candidates are running for six seats on the Eighth ON Congress in the June 6 General Election and all were certified at the March 15 meeting, which Wilson did not attend, and Fields started attending as a temporary sitting board member. The other two current sitting board members are Chair Shannon Lockett and Vice Chair Terry Hazen.
Lockett welcomed Fields back as a voting board member and also welcomed Byers, who also attended the meeting. In 2019, Byers was appointed and confirmed by Congress to serve his initial term as a second alternate board member. Although not a voting member, Byers assisted with 2020 Election Day poll worker duties and will also do the same during the 2022 elections.
According to the Osage election code, a board member shall recuse him/ herself from board service for that election and an alternate board member shall serve according to provisions of the election code in the event a candidate files who: is an immediate family member of a board member; lives with a board member; or is a partner in a business concern with a board member.
The law also says “‘immediate family’ means “spouse, son, daughter, mother, father, sister or brother, grandparent or grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew or member of the same household and includes those of the foregoing who are formally adopted by court order.”
For the remainder of the 2022 election season, the three voting board members will take up business related to the April 4 Primary Election and the June 4 General Election.
The Election Board will consider election-related duties and motions including: review/ approval of candidate campaign reporting statements; considering fines/ penalties if any candidates do not submit those campaign reports by stated deadlines, nor correct any report deficiencies; considering fines/ penalties if any candidates do not follow other mandates in the election code or rules/ regulations; and board members will be present for working Election Day duties including ballot counting, supervising polling place workers and making decisions for any unexpected developments. Other election-related business will also include taking action (if necessary) for recounting ballots and certifying the election results. For more information on the elections or to register or updated addresses for voting, and to request absentee ballots, contact the Election Office toll-free at (877) 560-5286 or visit its current website at www.osagenation-nsn.gov/what-we-do/elections