Elections Director Fired
WINDOW ROCK
Navajo Times/Arlyssa Becenti
Ballot boxes sit in the room where the Board of Election Supervisors Met Thursday. They issued a release Friday stating Elections Director Edbert Little had been fired.
After a disastrous election in which at least 16 chapters ran out of ballots and handled it in various ways, the Navajo Nation Board of Election Supervisors late Friday fired Navajo Election Administration Director Edbert Little.
Little’s second-in-command, Murray Lee, has been named as interim director until a new director is hired.
Board Chairman Melvin Harrison stated in a press release, “After an in-depth discussion, the board concluded that the election office needed a new direction and the first step is to part ways with the director.”
Board members would not comment further.
The board had a lengthy meeting Thursday to discuss what caused the ballot shortage throughout the Navajo Nation and what the next step should be to fix the situation.
It was determined there was confusion on the referendum question regarding salary adjustments for the president and vice president that led to “spoiled ballots.”
“Some voters misread the questions in which the ‘no’ vote did not allow a vote on the options for salary range increases,” stated the board in a press release. “Voters voting ‘no’ and voting on the option caused a spoiled ballot so a second ballot had to be issued.”
When polling sites started running short, the election office issued instructions to photocopy ballots or get photocopied ballots from other polling sites.
“Lack and poor communication at remote sites caused delays in the instructions getting to all polling sites,” the release stated.
Polling sites were also instructed to obtain contact information from all voters who were in line by 7 p.m. but did not get to vote, but this instruction also was not received quickly in some remote sites.
People who were not able to vote will be allowed to vote at their agency election office starting Monday. Call 1-800-775-8683 with any questions.
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