Well-run elections and voting events help build trust in the community and support strong Nation decision making. Planning a vote takes time and care; these five tips can help your voting process stay organized and running smoothly.



1. Start planning earlier than you think you need to



 preparing for a vote. Three months is usually the minimum, but five to six months gives you breathing room and flexibility if something unexpected comes up.

Early planning gives you time to think through what kind of support might be helpful, whether that is setting up the vote itself, preparing communications, organizing surveys, or simply mapping out a clear plan. It is also a good time to review your Nation’s voting guidelines and identify any special considerations that should be factored in. If your guidelines are already in place, reviewing them early can help confirm everything is up to date. If they are still being developed, whether through a legal team or with help from a consultant, this is also a helpful moment to spot where extra support may be needed.

The more clarity you have at the beginning, the smoother everything feels later.

Plan ahead: a calendar is a great way to stay organized

An up-to-date membership list makes a big difference. When names, addresses and email addresses are current, preparing notices and confirming voter eligibility becomes much easier.

can prevent unnecessary pressure and rushed preparation when a vote is announced. It also helps ensure members receive the information they need to participate.



3. Consider timing and scheduling for strong participation 



Throughout the year, many events take place outside of a Nation vote that can affect the community and impact voter turnout. Taking time to 

that may overlap with a vote can make a meaningful difference.

This might include holidays, seasonal closures, summer travel, school breaks, other community events, potential mail disruptions, and upcoming Chief and Council term end dates.

Looking at the calendar early and planning around these realities can help improve turnout and reduce frustration. It is also helpful to think about which voting methods make participation easiest for your members. Depending on your Nation’s guidelines,

digital voting can offer a convenient option that allows members to vote from wherever they are, helping reduce barriers and improve accessibility.

4. Organize the vote to reflect your Nation’s priorities



Every vote is an important moment for the community, and 

how the process is carried out can shape how members experience it.

 Participation, transparency, integrity, and community confidence all work together to create a voting event that is clear, fair, and well run.

Keeping these priorities in mind makes it easier to plan the logistics in a way that supports the whole process. That might include offering advanced and extra polls, strengthening communications so members feel informed and prepared, 

adding accessible options such as digital voting where permitted,

 or bringing in experienced third-party support to help ensure compliance, clear documentation, and secure auditing. Thoughtful planning across these areas helps create a voting process that is organized, trusted, and consistent throughout.


Digital voting can support accessibility and greater voter turnout where permitted by Nation guidelines

5. Know your team’s capacity and protect compliance



It’s important to recognize the capacity and experience of Nation staff when planning a vote. A meeting with your team can help clarify what is realistic to manage internally and where additional support could help ease pressure.

This might include confirming whether your Nation has in-house communications support to keep members informed and engaged, whether staff can manage the vote alongside other priorities, or whether additional help is needed. That could mean hiring Electoral or Ratification Officers, arranging polling station support, or providing a secure platform so your own officers can manage the vote effectively. 

Clarifying roles early helps set expectations and alignment across the team.

At the same time, compliance is essential. Ensuring the vote adheres to your Nation’s guidelines protects the integrity of the outcome. For first-time, unusual, complex or particularly significant votes, it may be worth considering experienced third-party support to provide added oversight and expert stewardship. 

Taking care of both capacity and compliance early brings greater peace of mind for everyone involved.



Well-run voting events require adequate time, planning, resources and clear collaborative communication. With the right preparation, Nations can improve voter participation and better support membership needs. 

Whether you need experienced Electoral or Ratification Officers to manage a vote from start to finish, already have your own Officer and simply need a secure platform to support them in running the vote, are exploring digital voting options, or just want to talk through what support might be most helpful, starting with a clear plan early on can make all the difference.

OneFeather has experience supporting Nations in these ways, working alongside communities on elections, ratifications, referendums, and other Indigenous community voting events. Support can look different for every Nation, and each community’s needs and timelines are unique. If you are planning ahead for an upcoming vote or would simply like to learn more about what support might involve, we are here as a resource. 

You can find more information about OneFeather’s Elections & Voting Services here.

Five Tips for a Well-Run Voting Event

OneFeather is proud of our long-standing partnership with the 

 rooted in long-term Indigenous talent development. The program connects alumni with internships at technology companies committed to increasing Indigenous participation and leadership in tech, while taking meaningful steps toward Truth and Reconciliation.


At FNTC, our internship and mentorship programs go beyond just training people for jobs. We want to ensure that Indigenous learners entering the tech sector step into workplaces where their talents are genuinely respected and where they have room to grow and thrive.

Our partnership with OneFeather has been a wonderful example of what that can look like in practice. Working with an Indigenous-led technology company that shares our values has created meaningful opportunities for our learners to apply their skills in real-world settings while being supported by a team that understands the importance of community and culture.

Being in good relations with partners like OneFeather means a great deal to us and to the learners we serve. We are proud to partner with OneFeather to help expand opportunities and demonstrate the incredible talent and creativity within Indigenous tech communities.



- Kim Henderson, 
Director of Digital Skills and Career Development at First Nations Technology Council

Through this partnership, internship opportunities have grown into lasting careers. BC-based Brennan Rehlau, a member of the Ojibway community, joined OneFeather as an IT Intern through the program and has since transitioned into a permanent role as an IT Support Technician.



"Working with and for a team whose mission is to help and serve Indigenous communities gives me great fulfillment at the end of the day, and motivates me to be the best I can be in supporting the teams that support the communities. 

To earn my place from intern to a permanent employee has rewritten what is possible for me as someone of Indigenous descent working in the tech space; a career I had only dreamt of previously. I hope others like myself dreaming of opportunity feel motivated and know that with great effort and pride in your work, you can achieve what's in your heart."

Brennan Rehlau shares his career journey as part of the OneFeather-First Nations Technology Council workforce partnership 

A Partnership Strengthening Indigenous Tech Capacity

Through its longstanding partnership with the First Nations Technology Council, OneFeather continues to support the development of Indigenous tech talent and strengthen Indigenous representation in the sector — where 

Indigenous professionals currently represent an estimated 2.2% of Canada’s tech workforce.

“We began this partnership as a means of removing barriers to Indigenous people entering tech. There is still significant underrepresentation, and we are working to actively change this dynamic.

As an Indigenous technology company, it’s our responsibility to ensure Indigenous people see a future for themselves in tech. It’s an honour to provide opportunities that support growth, leadership, and generational change.”



– Lawrence Lewis, 
Founder & CEO of OneFeather (We Wai Kai Nation)

OneFeather remains committed to advancing Indigenous workplace development and building pathways for the next generation of Indigenous technology leaders.

 is an Indigenous-led technology company redefining what Indigenous business can be. Rooted in the teachings, governance traditions, and cultural knowledge of the Nations we serve, OneFeather creates digital solutions that strengthen Indigenous sovereignty and enhance community wellbeing. Our work brings together traditional wisdom and technological innovation to reimagine how Indigenous peoples engage with governance, membership, identity, financial empowerment, data, and Nation-centred digital services. 

 was established in 2002, at a time when the digital divide between First Nations communities and the rest of BC was wide and growing. First Nations leadership saw that technology was going to shape everything: education, economic development, health, language, governance and that Nations needed their own organization to lead that work. 


The First Nations Leadership Council, which consists of the BC Assembly of First Nations, the First Nations Summit, and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, mandated them to focus on four areas: digital skills development, connectivity, information management, and technical support and services. That mandate still guides everything they do today.


Over two decades later, their work has grown, but the purpose hasn't changed. They are here so First Nations in BC have the skills, tools, and infrastructure to use technology on their own terms.

OneFeather and First Nations Technology Council Partnership Advances Indigenous Talent in Tech 

Stan Knight is a proud member of Opaskwayak Cree Nation and the founder of 

 a venture dedicated to transforming Indigenous housing across Canada through technology, capacity building, and community-led solutions.

With a background spanning law enforcement, construction, and project management, Stan brings a grounded, practical perspective to one of the most pressing challenges facing Indigenous communities today: safe, adequate housing, particularly in the wake of climate change. 

Through Inspector in a Box, Stan created a tech-enabled program that ships a complete toolkit, including drones, thermal cameras, inspection software, and smartphones, directly to remote communities. This enables local members to conduct their own housing inspections, addressing an ongoing barrier: the costs associated with flying outside contractors into community for inspections. Community members capture the data locally, which then flows back to Stan centrally. He and the team then interpret it and produce the reporting, scopes of work, cost estimates, and funding applications, all without the cost of travel.

The long-term vision is to build local capacity so community members can eventually take over the role entirely, from inspections to data capture, with Inspector in a Box working itself out of a job.

At the heart of the program is a simple but powerful belief: the answers to Indigenous housing challenges must come from within Indigenous communities themselves.

"Every answer that's been thrown at First Nations and Indigenous communities has always been imposed by the federal government. We've always been told what the answer is. When we are actually at the table and make those informed decisions, when we actually implement those ideas, they work and they last."

Tune into the full conversation to explore how digital tools and Indigenous-led innovation are reshaping the sustainability of housing across Turtle Island.

https://www.youtube.com/@onefeatherapp/videos

https://www.linkedin.com/company/onefeather/

https://open.spotify.com/show/0SW489x40xOpZD2r4WbAQ0

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-that-noise/id1364610122

Episode 15 | Digital Innovation in Indigenous Housing | Stan Knight