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ASSEMBLY OF FIRST NATIONS BULLETIN – April 26, 2021

Published: Apr 26, 2021Bulletin

AFN AGA & National Chief Election 2021

SUMMARY: 

  • The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Annual General Assembly (AGA) and Election of National Chief is being hosted in Toronto and will take place virtually July 6-8, 2021.
  • The All Candidate Forum for the Election of National Chief will take place on July 6, 2021.
  • Election Day for AFN National Chief is July 7, 2021.
  • COVID-19 has impacted election procedures and as a result all voting will take place online and by telephone.
  • First Nations leadership and/or proxies will be required to register to vote online or by telephone. Voter registration information will be available in the coming weeks.
  • Voting procedures are detailed in the Charter of the Assembly of First Nations.
  • Additional information, including candidate requirements, will be made available in coming weeks.

The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) 2021 Annual General Assembly (AGA) is being hosted in Toronto, Ontario and will take place virtually July 6-8, 2021. The election of National Chief will take place during this virtual gathering, with votes cast online or by phone on July 7, 2021. The following breakdown provides information on key dates leading up to and during the election. Please note that information on voter registration will be made available in the coming weeks. Early registration will assist in carrying out the electoral process.

May 12: Electoral Officer Assumes Office & Nomination Period Opens

The Chief Electoral Officer for the 2021 election of the AFN National Chief is Ron Laufer, appointed following a motion carried at the virtual AFN AGA in December 2020. The Chief Electoral Officer is responsible for conduct of the election, receiving nominations, monitoring expenses, monitoring the All Candidate Forum and other electoral duties.

Nominations for National Chief candidates will begin May 12, 2021. Official forms for nominations will be made available through the Chief Electoral Officer.  Nominations require 15 endorsements from Chiefs from AFN member Nations. At least 8 endorsements must be from outside the candidates’ province or territory.

June 2 (11:59pm ET): Nomination Period Closes
The period for National Chief candidate nominations will close.

 June 9: Candidates List
All member nation voters will receive a list of National Chief candidates, including biographies and election procedures.

July 6: Candidates Submit Certified Preliminary Candidate Expense Statements & Contributors
All candidates will be required to submit summaries of campaign donations and expenses to the Chief Electoral Officer. Note that candidates must adhere to a $35,000 spending limit.

July 6: All Candidate Forum
Candidates for National Chief will have the opportunity to make statements and respond to questions from voters during the virtual Annual General Assembly.

July 7: Election Day
Voting for the 2021 election of AFN National Chief will take place July 7, 2021. Chiefs and proxies casting votes online and by telephone will do so through the Simply Voting online system. This system has been internationally tested for accuracy and efficiency. Online voting is subject to audit to ensure accuracy of results. All voting procedures are detailed in full in the Charter of the Assembly of First Nations.

Additional information, including candidate requirements, will be made available in coming weeks.