Members of the Ketchikan Indian Community can begin casting their votes for open seats on the Tribal Council and Advisory Health Board. Ketchikan Indian Community announced Sunday that early and absentee voting is now open for tribal members.
The Ketchikan Indian Community is the government for Ketchikan’s federally recognized tribe and the Tribal Council is its direct governing body. There are three seats on the council up for election and each serves a three-year term. There are currently six candidates running for the council, including two-term incumbents: Melissa Johnson and Charles Edwardson. The other candidates are former councilmember and former vice chair of the Southeast Alaska Indigenous Transboundary Commission Carrie Dodson, current Ketchikan School Board member Ali Ginter, outgoing tribal health board member Sharyl Whitesides Yeisley, and first-time candidate Clarence Peele.
The Ketchikan Indian Community serves more than 6,000 tribal citizens and a little more than half of them reside in Ketchikan. Their services include a tribal health clinic and a wide variety of resources and programs for tribal members and the Advisory Health Board makes policy recommendations to the tribal government about these programs and the health of tribal citizens. There are two, two-year seats open on the Health Board. Three candidates are running for the seats – Amber Williams-Baldwin, long-time incumbent and current vice chair of the health board, and new candidates Romay Edenshaw and Debi White.
Elections for the Tribal Council and Advisory Health Board will take place on January 20th at the Ted Ferry Civic Center. Early and absentee voting will be open through January 17. KIC urged those filing absentee ballots to plan ahead so their ballots arrive by noon on the 17th.
In-person early voting is held at the office of accounting firm Teuscher Walpole, 1734 Tongass Avenue.
