The Primary was originally slated to occur in April, with the General Election slated for last month. Election challenges delayed the process, however. The name of incumbent Tribal Councilor Rebecca Woods was removed from the Primary ballot after the tribal Election Board found she had violated campaign rules, and the Tribal Judiciary upheld that determination.

Incumbent Tribal Councilor Cornelia “Connie” TwoCrow, meanwhile, failed to become one of the top six candidates in the June 3 Primary, receiving only 5.4 percent of the vote.

Another incumbent, Sandra Anderson, also missed making it onto the General Election ballot after winning only 6.6 percent of the vote in the Primary. Anderson had been appointed to her Tribal Council seat following the resignation last year of longtime Tribal Councilor and former Tribal Chairman Joseph “Buddy” Raphael.

The top vote-getter in last week’s Primary Election was Alvin Pedwaydon, who garnered 10.3 percent of the vote in the 18-candidate race. Former Tribal Councilor Thurlow “Sam” McClellan came in second with 8.6 percent of the vote.

Taking the third through sixth spots were Tom Shomin (8.5 percent), former Tribal Chairman Robert Kewaygoshkum (8 percent), Steven Feringa (7.8 percent) and Jane Rohl (7.6 percent).

The top six vote-getters were slated to appear on the General Election ballot on July 15 – assuming no additional challenges were filed in the Primary Election process by 5 p.m. today, Thursday.

According to a revised schedule for the General Election promulgated by the tribal Election Board following a set of election challenges and delays earlier this year, winners of the planned July 15 election will be sworn into office on July 26.

Voter turnout figures for the primary were not available this week; although 902 voters were registered. Tribal membership exceeds 4,000; however, only adults residing in the tribe’s six-county service area in northwestern lower Michigan are eligible to vote in tribal elections.