It appears voters in the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation community of Pelican Narrows won’t be heading back to the polls after all.
Chief Electoral Officer Burke Ratte had initially called for a new election in the community after votes were counted in Pelican Narrows on April 13 in violation of an election order.
However, a federal court judge’s decision says the votes are valid under the band’s election act and the electoral officer does not have the right to nullify them.
Ratte had ordered all PBCN communities not to tally voting results for chief and council until an election could be held in Sturgeon Landing.
Voting had been postponed in this community due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
Voters in Sturgeon Landing are scheduled to go to the polls Monday and Tuesday.