The Trenton Indian Service Area Election Board abstained from counting ballots following a special chairman election Tuesday after a misprint was discovered on the ballot. The TISA Election Board turned the ballots over to the Williams County Sheriff's Office for storage until they are officially advised by their attorney.

The ballots were printed with the title of “Williston District Representative” listed at the top of the ballot, and was followed by another line and the words “Chairperson, vote for one.”

Vying for the post were Delmar Falcon, Walt Moran and Darryl Ladue. TISA patrons vote in Williston for District 1, Trenton for District 2 and District 3 Montana patrons voted in Culbertson.

The glitch is part of a long chain of events over the confusion of who is running the TISA Board.

Moran had been declared the winner of an April 2005 TISA election, but former Chair Cynthia LaCounte appealed that outcome and was granted another election which she won. Later, LaCounte was ousted for alleged financial misconduct with TISA funds. A recent tribal court decision election allowed the election to continue this week.

Some patrons are calling for yet another special election due to the confusion they say the ballot caused.

“We have made no decision until we counsel with our attorney,” said Cheryl Donovan, chair of the TISA Election Board. Voter turnout was low, she said.

Donovan asked that any other comments being made on behalf of the TISA Election Board, come from their attorney, Bernice Delorme, general counsel for the Turtle Mountain Board of Chippewa Indians in Belcourt.

“I am going to advise them to certify the results,” Delorme said. “I don't see nothing that will affect the outcome.

“I think the people should be able to vote for who they want to and let them get to work,” Delorme added. “They have a lot of contracts to work with. Someone has to run TISA.”