Each year, the Citizen Potawatomi Nation holds elections for positions in the Tribal government.

This year’s ballot includes three legislative seats in addition to the annual Tribal budget.

Legislative races to represent Oklahoma Districts 10, 11 and 13 are all contested.

In District 10, incumbent David Joe Barrett faces challenger Norman Brasfield.

In District 11, incumbent Lisa Kraft faces two challengers, John Thomas Anderson and Christina Brasfield.

In District 13, incumbent Bobbi Bowden also has two challengers, Jay Laughlin and Michael K. Whistler.

In the latter two contests, if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff election between the top two finishers will take place up to 60 days from CPN Election Day, June 29, 2019.

Candidate profiles and Q&As will be featured in upcoming editions of the Hownikan before the election.

In addition to the legislative races, all eligible citizens of the Tribe will vote on the annual budget. The budget outlines the expenditure of the CPN trust funds’ earnings. No principal from the fund is spent. The budget pays for national service projects and the executive branch of the Tribal government.

In-person voting takes place at Tribal headquarters near Shawnee, Oklahoma, on June 29, 2019, during the annual Family Reunion Festival. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Absentee ballots must be received by the CPN Election Committee by 10 a.m. on June 29, 2019. Citizens must show their Tribal ID card in order to receive a ballot. New Tribal IDs may be obtained by contacting the Tribal Rolls Department at 800-880-9880.

Absentee ballot request forms will be mailed out after April 1, 2019, and must be received by June 9, 2019. Tribal citizens are encouraged to confirm their address with CPN Tribal Rolls to ensure they receive a form. Ballot request forms may also be applied for in writing by sending the voter’s name, address, legal signature and Tribal ID number to the CPN Election Committee at P.O. Box 310, Tecumseh, OK 74873. Absentee ballot request forms must be postmarked by June 8, 2019.