First Nations and Tribal Council Elections

ElectionBuddy is far more than a digital voting platform‒it’s a full-service elections platform. This means your tribal organization is paired with an ElectionBuddy Elections Expert who can guide you through the entire process of setting up your election to counting your votes.

Your tribal Elections Expert can help with an array of election types, including:

• Plurality: In this type of tribal vote, options are mutually exclusive, where voters can only cast one vote from a list of options.
• Approval: Ballots in these tribal votes can be cast for multiple candidates because the options are not mutually exclusive. In this type of vote, the candidate with the most votes at the end of the election wins.
• Cumulative: This type of voting style is ideal for electing multiple candidates for an office or position. It allows tribal voters to distribute the votes to the candidates they deem fit.
• Preferential: With preferential voting, tribal voters can elect single or multiple candidates for a position by ranking them in order of most preferred to least preferred. Not all candidates need to be ranked in preferential voting.
• Scored: In this type of tribal vote, voters score/rate candidates/options on a given scale. Unlike with preferential voting, all of the candidates or options must be rated or scored. Tribal voters can use the same scores or ratings more than once.

For more insights and details about the different voting styles ElectionBuddy can leverage for your next council or tribal election, speak to an ElectionBuddy Expert today.

A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work for your Tribal Council or First Nations elections. These tribal elections hold cultural and historical significance, and you need an elections platform and assistant that can honor your existing tribal systems while making your elections even more accessible to the tribe.

ElectionBuddy’s platform is diverse and customizable, and you can work with your Elections Expert to see how ElectionBuddy can accommodate your special elections, such as:

• Chief and Council Elections
• Customary Elections, including elder involvement, consensus-building, and more
• Band Council Resolution Elections
• Elders’ Council Selection
• Youth Council Elections

ElectionBuddy also offers options for proxy voting, electronic voting, voice voting, hand-raising, and secret ballots.

Native and Indigenous communities overall value thoughtful relationship cultivation and accessible resources. If you are struggling with voter turnout, addressing voters personally and working to bridge the digital divide within your community can be the first steps towards increasing your number of tribal voters.

Address voters personally when you announce upcoming debates, program meetings, and other events leading up to your election. In-person events can be a great way to introduce your new voting methods, and your ElectionBuddy Expert can assist in introducing our digital platform to your voter base, increasing voter confidence and your tribal ballot submissions.

ElectionBuddy can process digital votes almost instantly, providing you with an accurate tally of the tribal ballots submitted. Need a little more reassurance for your tribal council election? An ElectionBuddy Expert can meet with your organization online to discuss the additional needs or conditions of your next election. This can include election reviews, audits, and election certifier guidance!