Yukon First Nation to hold vote recount after margin of victory deemed too narrow
Lynda Dickson was announced as re-elected on July 1, but on Thursday officials said there would be a recount
After announcing that Lynda Dickson had been re-elected chief of the Carcross/Tagish First Nation in Yukon on June 30, the First Nation has now put that outcome on hold.
A news release Thursday, but dated June 30, stated: "The executive council in co-ordination with the chief electoral officer have decided the five vote separation between Lynda Dickson and Danny Cresswell was a small enough margin justifying an official recount to confirm the original results."
Previously, chief electoral officer Tanya Silverfox told CBC that a recount would happen only if the margin was three votes or fewer.
According to the First Nation's official election results, 336 voters cast ballots this election out of the 794 eligible voters. Dickson took 109 votes, while Cresswell took 104.
According to the news release, the swearing-in ceremony will be on hold until the outcome of the recount.
Dickson was sworn in as Haa Shaa du Hen, or chief, following a byelection last summer, after former chief Andy Carvill was permanently ousted in the wake of allegations of sexual harassment.
At the time, there was less than a year remaining on the term.