Chiefs to vote third time after Atleo misses threshold and Palmater supporters dig in
Shawn Atleo missed the magic 60 per cent mark for re-election by three votes on the second ballot, sending chiefs to the polls of a third time Wednesday in the election for national chief of the Assembly of First Nations.
APTN National News
TORONTO–Shawn Atleo missed the magic 60 per cent mark for re-election by three votes on the second ballot, sending chiefs to the polls of a third time Wednesday in the election for national chief of the Assembly of First Nations.
Atleo emerged with 318 votes after the second round of voting, missing the required 321 votes he needed. Atleo grabbed 284 votes after the first round of voting.
A total of 535 ballots were cast in the second round of voting.
Mi’kmaq lawyer and Ryerson professor Pam Palmater again came in second with 107 votes, followed by Dene National Chief Bill Erasmus and former Treaty 3 grand chief Diane Kelly who both got 34.
Palmater saw an increase to her total from the first round where she got 95 votes.
Former Roseau River chief Terry Nelson dropped to 25 votes and Mohawk activist Ellen Gabriel dropped to 17 votes.
Nelson withdrew his name from the ballot and threw his support behind Palmater.
“As a famous man once said, I’ll be back,” said Nelson.
Gabriel also dropped off the ballot.
