The Ho-Chunk Nation Election Board held a Secretarial Election to amend the Ho-Chunk Nation Constitution.  The proposed amendment reads that, “All persons who were duly enrolled as Ho-Chunk Nation members as of December 31, 1999, will be considered full blood or 4/4 Ho-Chunk blood.”

     However, the required thirty percent of eligible voters did not cast a vote.  Therefore, the amendment did not pass.  

     An eligible voter is any enrolled member of the Ho-Chunk Nation who is at least eighteen years old.

     Article XIII of the Constitution provides, “Section 1. Requirements. This Constitution may be amended by a majority vote of the qualified voters of the Ho-Chunk Nation voting at an election called for that purpose by the Ho-Chunk Nation Election Board, provided, that at least thirty (30) percent of those entitled to vote shall vote in such election.”

     Further, the Election Code reads, “Thirty percent of eligible voters must cast a vote either for or against the proposed amendments for the amendment to be valid.  If less than thirty percent of eligible voters participate, the amendment shall be deemed to not pass.”

     There were 614 in-person votes cast and 881 mail-in ballots for a total of 1,495 votes - 23.1% of those entitled to vote in the September 19 Secretarial Election.

     The Election Board offered mail and in-person voting options to eligible voters.  Ballots were mailed on July 6, 2026, to eligible voters’ last known address, and a polling station was set up at the Annual Meeting of the General Council for in-person voting.  The Election Board opened the polling station at 8:00 am in the African Ballroom at the Kalahari Convention Center and closed two hours after adjournment.

     If at least thirty percent of eligible voters cast a vote, the Election Board would have counted the ballots to determine how many voted in favor of and against the Amendment.