NOTICE OF ELECTION – PRINCIPAL CHIEF
The United Houma Nation Election Board gives NOTICE that a regular election for the office of Principal Chief shall occur on Saturday, June 4, 2022, from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at such polling places to be designated by the Election Board within the Tribe’s eleven voting districts. Polling place announcements and ballot posting will be posted in advance of the election, at the following places:
• 20986 Hwy. 1, Golden Meadow, LA 70357
• 400 Monarch Drive, Houma, LA 70364
• 6641 Westbank Expressway Suite B. Marrero, LA 70072
Qualifying:
In accordance with the UHN Constitution, Article VI, Section 1(c) and (d), candidates for Principal Chief shall meet the following qualifications:
- be a registered voter of the United Houma Nation, and
- be at least 35 years of age, and
- be a high school graduate or have the equivalent of a high school diploma, and
- reside within one of the Tribe’s eleven voting districts for two or more consecutive years immediately preceding the election, and
- be free of any felony conviction, and
- not hold a tribal office unless the person is seeking election or reappointment to that office, and
- have previously served at least one term on the Tribal Council
Any interested party seeking candidacy for the office of Principal Chief must complete an Eligibility for Office qualifying form which is available at the UHN Administrative Office in Houma (400 Monarch Drive, Houma, LA 70364). The required form with supporting documents must be received at the Golden Meadow address (20986 Hwy. 1, Golden Meadow, LA 70357) by 4pm CST (mail only), Thursday, March 31, 2022 in order to be certified by the Election Board. Forms can be obtained from the Houma (985-223-3093) Office location only at this time due to damages from Hurricane Ida.
The Election Board will review all applicants for qualification and complete a list of all certified eligible applicants to be considered as candidate(s) for such office following the qualifying date. The list shall be posted in each Tribal Office listed above and shall be available for inspection by all.
Election Deadlines:
March 31, 2022 – Applicants must have submitted a complete Eligibility for Office form and supporting documents to the UHN Golden Meadow Office by 4:00 pm Central Standard Time.
May 5, 2022 – Deadline for tribal members to register to vote in this election. A tribal member not registered to vote by this date will be ineligible to vote in the election. (Voter registration will continue after this date for future elections.)
April 25, 2022 – Absentee ballots are made available upon request at the UHN Houma Office. Absentee ballots are only available either by written request or in person at the UHN Houma Office. Verification of voter is required through signature.
May 27, 2022 – All absentee ballots must be received at the UHN Houma Office by this date no later than 5:00 p.m., Central Standard Time. A ballot received after such date and time will not be counted in the election.
May 24, 2022 – Polling places and sample ballots will be posted at tribal offices.
June 4, 2022 – Election Day
Voting Requirements:
All registered tribal voters who have registered prior to May 6, 2022 are eligible to vote in this election. Voters have two voting options for this election:
- Secret ballot voting at their designated polling place on June 4, 2022 from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. All voters will receive a written notice of election with an assigned polling place. Voters are highly encouraged to ensure the UHN Houma Office has your correct address information in order to assign you to your closest polling place.
- Absentee ballot voting from April 25th to May 27, 2022
Absentee Voting:
Eligible voters interested in voting early or who expect to be absent from their voting district or who expects to be physically unable to go to the polling place on such day, may request in writing or in person an absentee ballot package from the UHN Houma Office. This package will include the absentee ballot, return envelopes, and instructions for completing an absentee ballot correctly. Absentee ballots are secret ballots. The outer envelope is only used to verify that the registered voter is the person casting the vote. The secret ballot is separated from the outer envelope once that has been verified. These packages will be available from April 25th to May 27, 2022.
Voting on Election Day:
Registered voters voting on election day must do so at their designated polling place. The Board will mail notice to all registered voters of their designated polling place. All polling places shall be open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on the day of the election. All voters must show their tribal photo ID or other valid photo identification and sign a tribal register voter log in order to vote at the polls. A secret ballot will be given after the election supervisors have verified eligibility to vote.
For additional information regarding United Houma Nation elections, please send written requests to the Election Board at the UHN Main Office. Copies of the Election Ordinance are available upon request. Copying fees apply.
To access the qualifying packet electronically, click the link BELOW to download.
Principal Chief Election Qualifying Packet 2022
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Please note that due to Hurricane Ida damages, all election records have been relocated from the UHN Golden Meadow to Houma Office. The Golden Meadow Offices are currently uninhabitable; however, we still receive mail there and are able to honor that address as the location of receiving applications for candidacy as required by the UHN Election Ordinance only by mail at present.