Abegweit First Nation to hold election Friday
Vote was delayed by Federal Court decision allowing off-reserve members to cast ballots
The first election following a Federal Court of Canada decision that won voting rights for off-reserve members of Abegweit First Nation will be held June 14.
The election will be for a chief and three councillors in the First Nation, up from two councillors.
The election was announced last Friday, giving one week for the 15 candidates to campaign.
Nine nominees are running for councillor and six are running for chief, according to the First Nation's website.
Originally planned for April
Candidates for chief are required to live on-reserve in order to run, but candidates for councillors can live on- or off-reserve. None of the candidates in the upcoming election is living off-reserve, band officials said.
This election comes after the Federal Court of Canada ruled in May that Abegweit's long-standing voting rules denied Charter rights to off-reserve members.
The election was originally planned for April 17, but was postponed after some band members asked for a judicial review of the First Nation's custom election code.
The chief's position was left vacant when Brian Francis was named to the senate last October.
The results of the election will be declared immediately following the count on Friday, according to a notice on the band's website.
There are 374 members of the band which has lands in Scotchfort, Morell and Rocky Point.
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