Report Released On Band Election Voting Rights

Report Released On Band Election Voting Rights

Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 15:35

A national Native leader says not enough is being done to grant off-reserve band members the right to vote on their First Nation.

Patrick Brazeau of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples says many First Nations citizens aren’t even aware they’re entitled to cast a ballot, regardless of where they live.

CAP released a report on the issue earlier this week.

Brazeau says the results show that many bands still don’t accept votes from members residing off-reserve.

He says this flies in the face of a Supreme Court ruling that asserts all band members should be allowed to vote.

Brazeau says it upsets him to see so many bands calling for human rights internationally, yet failing to deliver them at home.

He stresses that even under a band custom election act, off-reserve members deserve to have their votes recognized.