Official Notice to Eligible Voters:
There are the upcoming run-off elections for Vice-Chairman and Legislative District 5 on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. For voters in District 5 only, there will be two different options on their ballots – for the legislative district seat and the Vice-Chairman position.
The Tribal Code on Run-Off Elections reads:
Section 4-1-189_Run-Off Elections
A candidate must receive a majority of the votes in order to be elected. If the abstract shows that the highest number of votes cast for any one (1) candidate is less than a majority of the votes cast, a run-off election shall be held within sixty (60) days between the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes cast in the general election. In the event of a tie vote between the candidates with the second highest number votes cast, three (3) names shall be on the run-off election ballot. The Election Committee shall supervise the run-off election using the same rules and procedures followed in the general election. As soon as some candidate has received a majority of votes in the run-off election, no further run-off elections will be held.
Why are we having run-off elections?
According to the Tribal Code, a candidate must receive a majority (more than 50%) of the total votes cast to be elected. Because no single candidate for these offices reached the required majority threshold in the June 27, 2026 general election, a run-off election for these offices is automatically triggered.
Why are there three candidates on the run-off ballot for the Vice-Chairman election instead of two?
Section 4-1-189 explains: “In the event of a tie vote between the candidates with the second highest number votes cast, three (3) names shall be on the run-off election ballot.”
Because the second-place finishers received the exact same number of votes, all three candidates advance to this run-off.
When will the run-off election take place?
The Tribal Codes requires that a run-off election be held within sixty (60) days of the general election. Since the general election took place on Saturday, June 27, 2026, the run-off election will take place Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at the Courtroom at Tribal Headquarters in Shawnee, Oklahoma from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
What happens if no candidate secures a majority (over 50%) in the 3-way run-off?
In a three-way run-off, it is possible for votes to split such that the leading candidate still finishes with less than 50% of the vote. If this occurs, another run-off election will be held.
The CPN Tribal Code states that the process continues until “some candidate has received a majority of votes.” No further run-off elections will be held once a true majority winner emerges.
If a second run-off is required, when would that happen?
If a second run-off is necessary, it must also be held within 60 days of the first run-off election. If a second run-off is required, it would be held no later than Sunday, October 25, 2026.
How will the run-off election be conducted?
The Election Committee will supervise the run-off election using the same rules and procedures followed in general elections.
The Election Committee will be sending out letters as with all other Tribal elections. If Citizen Potawatomi wish to vote by absentee ballot, they must return the completed, postage paid, Request for Ballot form. Once received by the Election Committee, a ballot will be mailed to you.
Requests for an absentee ballot must be postmarked by August 6, 2026.
Once you receive the ballot, complete it and mail back to the Election Committee. It must be in the CPN Election Committee’s Post Office box by 10 a.m. Central Time on August 26, 2026. Voters must include their legal signature and roll number on the outer envelope of their returned absentee ballot.
If you receive an absentee ballot and later decide to vote in person, the Election Committee must be able to verify that they did not receive your ballot before you will be issued an in-person ballot.
Questions? Concerns? Please email the CPN Election Committee at [email protected]. The Election Committee does not have access to social media accounts managed by the Nation, and while the CPN Public Information Department does try to relay information in a timely manner, the best form of communication with the committee is via email.