Federal department ends review of OKIB election result, despite concerns – Vernon Matters

Apr 24, 2024

The federal government says it won’t pursue any further action into concerns raised about irregularities in the Okanagan Indian Band’s election last year.

Byron Louis won re-election as band chief on March 30, 2023 by four votes over Dan Wilson (290 to 286), while after a recount, Louis’ margin of victory was 13 votes (294 to 281).

Wilson told Vernon Matters he believed the Indian Act was not followed as the recount was done in secret and there was no mention about how 12 spoiled ballots in the recount were handled.

“The Indian Act election regulations state that the electoral officer must show all spoiled ballots to those present at the vote count, to give the candidates and scrutineers a chance to protest the electoral officer’s decision to disregard the spoiled ballot. The electoral officer failed to show the spoiled ballots, and we still haven’t seen them,” Wilson said.