The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTB) Constitution directs that the Election Board is responsible for conducting and certifying all GTB elections. The typical election cycle for GTB begins with the publication of proposed rules in January of an election year for an election to occur in May. After the election in May the Election Board has experienced both internal appeals and external appeals to the GTB Tribal Court. It is anticipated that the May 2022 election for three tribal councilors will engender the same level of voter, candidate, litigant, and institutional participation as the last series of elections in 2020, 2016, & 2014. These elections required Election Board special counsel to represent the Election Board in the development of election regulations, the contest of those regulations, the conduct of an election, the contest of an election, the certification of an election, the contest of the certification of an election, and individual tribal court proceedings against individual election board officials alleging impropriety on the part of the Election Board and requesting that the GTB judiciary address some or all of the GTB election process. The successful election board special counsel will need to address any and all aspects of this brief outline.
