the navajo board of election supervisors is in a special meeting at the Apache County office in Fort Defiance, Ariz. The special meeting was called to address the vacancy created by the resignation of Navajo Council Speaker Johnny Naize yesterday as speaker and Council delegate.

election office director edison wauneka
i met with chief legislative counsel and two other attorney; speaker pro temp bates and his chief of staff leonard gorman. it is always hard to get money for special election and if want to keep same general election date then board needs to approve the printing of ballots for only council delegates and other positions and to have special election for presidency.

we are suppose to start process on oct. 6 for absentee voting and early walk in voting. absolute last day to print ballots was sept. 25 and there was tribal Supreme Court hearing on qualification of Chris Deschene as a presidential candidate.

there were about 6,000 absentee and walkin ballots for primary election. and the first thing that is put into ballot box on Election Day is those absentee and walkin ballots. so perhaps we should also wait for all absentee ballots to come in and also extend time for challenge votes.

so do we keep to nov. 4 or move only presidential election. in talking with chief legislative counsel, the decision by tribal office of hearings and appeals will be appealed. and then there is also time allowed for next vote getting after Deschene to name a running mate and then the law allows for a challenge of that individual. but there is a provision in the law that allows the speaker to run the government if there is no president.

speaker pro temp bates has approved funding for a special election.