Guide to June 4 Election Day

Election Day is Monday and Osages will be deciding who will be the next six members on the Third Osage Nation Congress.

On the ballot for the Osage General Election June 4 will be 34 candidates and seven possible amendments to the Osage Nation Constitution.

The poll opens at 8 a.m. and is located at the Osage Nation Congressional Chambers and closes at 8 p.m. The results of the election will be announced that evening.

The Osage News will be posting news throughout the day on osagenews.org and will post the results as soon as they are announced.

The poll

Osages must be at least 18 years old to vote, on or before Election Day. Osages must also have a government issued photo ID with them, such as a driver’s license (even if expired), passport, military ID, etc. If the voter does not have an ID, they can still vote if two election officials identify them and sign an affidavit confirming the person’s identity.

Once a voter is identified and has the proper verification, they are looked up in the Osage Voter Registry and asked to sign their name. The voter will receive an index card with an anonymous barcode on it and will be asked to present that card to election staff who will scan the barcode and print off a ballot that matches the barcode.

The voter will take their ballot and cast their vote. Talking and the use of cell phones will not be permitted. When the voter is finished they will place their ballot, unfolded, in the locked metal ballot box.   

Absentee Ballots

At 10 a.m. on Election Day the election supervisor, accompanied by Osage Nation Police, will retrieve the absentee ballots from a locked box from the Pawhuska Post Office and will immediately deliver the box to the polling place. Poll watchers can be present during the transport. According to the election board, three poll watchers have registered for Election Day.

All absentee ballots that arrive at the Pawhuska Post Office after 10 a.m. on Election Day will be put in an empty locked box at the Pawhuska Post Office and held for 48 hours as provisional ballots.

An eligible voter who has requested an absentee ballot may vote in person on Election Day if they surrender their absentee ballot or sign an affidavit stating they have not voted by absentee.

Parking on Election Day

According to the Osage Nation Properties Department, the Nation will provide event staff to control vehicle access through the campus. The Nation will also provide short-term voter parking and long term voter parking for all Osage voters as well as handicapped and elderly parking locations. Shuttles will be provided to long term parking locations and for elderly and handicapped to maneuver around the campus.

No electioneering

No electioneering will be allowed within 300 feet of the entrance of the polling place.

Examples of electioneering: written or printed materials for a candidate; signs, stickers, buttons, shirts, bumper stickers, fans etc.; talking about voting for or against a particular candidate or issue; candidates or their campaign committee members greeting voters as they approach the polling place.

Only election officials and voters going to cast their votes will be allowed to remain within 50 feet of the polling place.

The consequences of electioneering could be a misdemeanor and summons to appear in the Osage Nation Tribal Court; if convicted of electioneering the person may be subject to a fine of up to $5,000 and jail time.

For more information contact the Election Office at (877) 560-5286.