First Nations Elections Act
| First Nations Elections Act | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parliament of Canada | |
| |
| Citation | S.C. 2014, c. 5 |
| Considered by | House of Commons of Canada |
| Considered by | Senate of Canada |
| Assented to | 2014-04-11 |
| Legislative history | |
| First chamber: House of Commons of Canada | |
| Bill citation | Bill C-9 |
| Introduced by | Bernard Valcourt MP, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development |
| First reading | 2013-10-29 |
| Second reading | 2013-10-29 |
| Third reading | 2013-12-10 |
| Second chamber: Senate of Canada | |
| Member(s) in charge | Scott Tannas |
| First reading | 2014-02-27 |
| Second reading | 2014-04-01 |
| Third reading | 2014-04-08 |
| Status: In force | |
The First Nations Elections Act (French: Loi sur les élections au sein de premières nations) is an act of the Parliament of Canada relating to certain First Nations elections.[1]
Provisions
[edit]The act dictates a four year term.[2] Under the act, a council can consist of up to 12 councillors.[3]
In the event of a tie, the electoral officer must "conduct a draw" in order to break the tie.[3]
Application
[edit]The Act is one of three possible elections regimes a First Nation can fall under with the other two being the Indian Act and Band Custom.[1]
In 2017, 41 communities were bound by the act.[4] In 2021, 75 communities are bound by the act.[5]
Criticism
[edit]The act was criticised by Policy Options for not allowing online voting.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Benjoe, Kerry (August 8, 2016). "First Nations Elections Act being tested year after it came into effect". Regina Leader-Post. Archived from the original on April 26, 2025. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
- ^ Rabski-McColl, Amanda (December 22, 2023). "First Nation celebrated 2023 change to election act". Timmins Today. Archived from the original on December 23, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
- ^ a b "Luck of the draw: Council candidate slams First Nations Elections Act rules for a tie". CBC News. February 28, 2017. Archived from the original on March 2, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
- ^ Midzain-Gobin, Liam; Goodman, Nicole; Gabel, Chelsea; Bird, Karen (October 12, 2017). "Reforming the Indian Act to allow for online voting". Policy Options. Archived from the original on January 1, 2018. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
- ^ Hristova, Bobby (May 2, 2021). "'Archaic' government rules restricting Indigenous communities' control over elections: study". CBC News. Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
- ^ Gabel, Chelsea; Goodman, Nicole (May 4, 2021). "Indigenous communities should be able to choose online voting, especially during COVID-19: Report". The Conversation. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2025.