UPDATE:
March 31, 2023
Byron Louis has won a seventh term as chief of the Okanagan Indian Band.
Louis defeated challenger Dan Wilson by four votes in Thursday’s band election, 290-286.
(Image credit: OKIB)To see how many votes each candidate received please follow this link: https://www.onefeather.ca/nations/okib
Original story
It’s election day for the Okanagan Indian Band.
Band members will be heading to the polls and casting votes for chief and council.
Voting will be available from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Head of the Lake Hall.
Mail-in ballots for members living off reserve that weren’t sent back by mail can be dropped off at the polling station Thursday.
A band spokesperson said the vote count is expected to be completed around 2 a.m. Friday, March 31. The election results will be posted to the OKIB website and Facebook page.
OKIB has two candidates in the running for the Chief’s role and 28 vying for the ten councillor seats. The positions come with a two-year term.
Six-term incumbent Byron Louis is being challenged by Dan Wilson, a current councillor, for chief of the Vernon-area band.
The councillor candidates are:
Incumbents Sheldon Pierre Louis, David Marchand and Ryan Oliverius are not seeking re-election. Their terms will end April 7, 2023.
