Bob Shiles

Staff writer

PEMBROKE — Members of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina headed to the polls today to elect a tribal chairman and seven members to the 21-member tribal council .

Polls opened this morning at 6:30 and will remain open until 7:30 p.m.

Candidates for the chairman include current Chairman Paul Brooks, former Chairman Jimmy Goins, and Lynn Bruce Jacobs, who ran as an unsuccessful candidate for the position last year.

Brooks was elected chairman last November in a special election to fill the final year of Chairman Purnell Swett’s three-year term. Goins could not run last year because Lumbee law does not allow a chairman, or members of the Tribal Council to serve more than two consecutive terms.

Voters in all districts will vote for the chairman. Voters in seven districts will also vote for individual council representatives. Those districts and candidates are:

n District 1 (Orrum, Rowland, Sterlings, Thompson, Whitehouse, Gaddys): Billy “Dollar Bill” Oxendine, Remondie Hunt, Evan Davenport.

n District 4 (Philadelphus, Red Springs): Retha Kenworthy, Jonathan Locklear.

n District 5 (Oxendine, Prospect): Millicent Collins, Ruby Locklear, Bobby Oxendine.

n District 7: (South Pembroke, Union): Robert Chavis, Cody Eagle Horse Godwin.

n District 9 (Saddletree): Dewey McNeill, Anita Blanks, Richard Terry Locklear

n District 10 (Rennert, Shannon, South St. Pauls): Terry Collins.

n District 14 (Britts, East Howellsville, Wishart): Jimmy Hunt, Homer Fields.

Polling sites are: District 1 — Rowland Police Department, Gaddys, Orrum Town Hall; District 2 — Smyrna Fire Department, Fairmont Town Hall, Southern Spirit Boys & Girls Club; District 3 — West Lumberton Elementary School, Soaring Eagle Community Center, Barker Ten Miles Mens Club; District 4 — Red Springs Rescue Building, Lumbee Lodge Community Center; District 5 — Oxendine Elementary School, Prospect Elementary School; District 6 — Indian Education Building, O.P. Owens Library; District 7 — Pembroke Middle School, Union Elementary School; District 8 — Union Chapel Community Building; District 9 — Four Winds Community Building; District 10 — Rennert Community Building, St. Pauls Courthouse; District 11 — Hawkeye Sand Apt., Hawkeye Boys & Girls Club; District 12 — Alfordsville VFW, Queheel Fire Department, Stewartsville Fire Department; District 13 — Lumber Bridge Town Hall, N.C. Indian Housing Authority; and District 14 — First Nation Boys & Girls Club.

Elections officials are forecasting a light turnout based on the number of absentee votes.