After the numbers were counted at the end of voting Saturday for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Buford Rolin took enough votes to keep him in the chairman’s seat for another term.
The 2011 election marked the first time ever that Tribal members directly elected the chairman to the top position of the Tribe. In previous elections, those serving as member of the Tribal Council elected a member of the council to serve in the top position for the government body.
Rolin received a majority win over three other candidates for the seat earning 540 votes more than the nearest competitor.
Rolin received 771 votes in the election. Former chairman, Eddie Tullis, received 231 votes. William Bailey received 47 votes while Berry L. Ross had 46 votes.
In other election results, three at-large members of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians Tribal Council were elected during Saturday’s voting.
Winning the three at-large positions were incumbents Arthur Mothershed and Garvis Sells and political newcomer, Sandy Fretwell Hollinger.
Mothershed won his spot with 653 votes. Sells took his position after receiving 618 votes. Fretwell will take her spot on the council after receiving 420 votes in the election.
Other vying for the at-large positions and their vote totals were:
Dewitt Carter – 111; Clayton Coon – 285; Helen Hallman – 206; Edie Jackson – 94; Danny Winston Lambert – 199; Paul Lundy – 35; Eialeasha E. Martin – 77; David Morris – 81; Ray Patrick – 8; Barbara McGhee Stephens – 51; Debra Rolin Strickland – 213; William L. Vickery – 58; Carolyn McGhee White – 92; and Emma Ruth Madison Hogan – 36.
A total of 1,214 general councl members voted in the election. There were 173 absentee cast with 491 walk-in voters. Voting day resulted in 550 additional ballots cast in the election.