Office of the Chief Electoral Officer

Notice of Vote 

Otipemisiwak Métis Government Elections are announced through a Notice of Vote that is issued by the Chief Electoral Officer.  

 

The Notice of Vote is issued seventy-five (75) days before the commencement of voting, and includes the following details: 

  • Dates of voting period 
  • Methods of voting 
  • Positions to be elected 
  • Nomination details, including deadline. 

 

As soon as the Notice of Vote is issued, nomination packages are available  

Candidates who are interested in obtaining a nomination package when a Notice of Vote is issued must contact the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (OCEO).  

 

Nomination Package 

The Nomination Package consists of the following sections: 

1. Candidate Information  

  • Candidate Contact Information 

2. Candidate Requirements

  • $200 Candidate Deposit 
    • Applicable to President, Provincial Women’s Representative, Provincial Youth Representative, Citizen’s Representative, and District Captains. 
    • District Councillors are not required to submit a $200 deposit. 
  • Criminal Record Check  
    • Doesn’t apply to all District Councillors, please confirm with your District’s bylaws. 
  • Government Issued Identification  

3. Nomination Signatures 

  • President, Provincial Women’s Representative, and Provincial Youth Representative require one-hundred fifty (150) nomination signatures from Métis Citizens across Alberta. 
  • Citizens’ Representatives, District Captains and District Councillors require ten (10) signatures from Métis Citizens who reside in the District that the candidate is running in. 

4. Signed Declarations 

  • Declaration of Candidacy 
  • Declaration of Not Being Registered with the Department of Crown Indigenous Relations  
  • Statutory Declaration: Not on an Indian Registry/Band List 
    • This section does require a signature by a Commissioner of Oaths, which is the responsibility of the candidate. Please note the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer cannot commission or notarize nomination packages.  

 

A full checklist and set of instructions are included with the Nomination Package.  

 

Nomination packages must include original/wet signatures, and must be mailed in, couriered, or dropped off in-person before the nomination deadline, 45 days before the commencement of voting. 

 

Digitally submitted nomination packages cannot be accepted.  

  

Confirmation of Candidacy 

The Chief Electoral Officer will confirm candidacy within 5 days after the nomination period closing. 

 
Confirmed candidates will be sent a letter, along with a Candidate Welcome Package confirming their candidacy, and outlining next steps in the election process.  

 

The Candidate Welcome Package includes a Candidate Guide, important forms and documents, including important information about the Voter’s List, how to appoint Scrutineers, and details about mandatory Campaign Finance Disclosures. It is extremely important that Candidates go through the documents in detail.   

 

Post-Election  

The Chief Electoral Officer will announce the preliminary results at www.metiselectionsab.com 

after all the ballots have been counted after the close of voting.  

 

The Chief Electoral Officer will certify all the results within two to ten (2–10) days after the close of voting. This process includes verifying votes from all methods of vote, as well as doing any re-counts that may be required.  

 

Once the results have been certified, they will be posted on the OCEO website. Candidates have ten (10) days after the certification of the results to submit appeals about the election to the Judicial Tribunal. 

 

After certified results have been posted, those candidates that have been elected will be contacted by staff of the Otipemisiwak Métis Government’s Self-Government Department who will provide more details about the next steps that are involved.  

 
All candidates who run in Otipemisiwak Métis Government elections need to submit the appropriate Campaign Finance Disclosure Package sixty (60) days after results have been certified. These documents are included in your candidate welcome package.