Reapportionment could reshape Navajo Council districts by 2027

Posted by Donovan Quintero | Aug 14, 2025 | News |

WINDOW ROCK

The Navajo people could see changes to tribal representation as early as 2027.

Beginning in January 2027, constituents may no longer be represented by the same Council delegate they’ve worked with in the past – even if that delegate is reelected.

Under Navajo law, reapportionment is required every 10 years, with voting precincts “approximately equal in population.” Since 1975, the Navajo Board of Election Supervisors has been responsible for developing and recommending plans to the Council.

Special to the Times | Donovan Quintero
A voting booth stands ready inside the Navajo Election Administration office on Aug. 12.

The new plan will be based on the 2020 U.S. Census and other data compiled by the Navajo Election Administration. The Navajo Nation had a population of 165,158, with 160,552 Navajos living in the Navajo Nation at the time, according to the census.

Veronica Shirley, the interim executive director of the Navajo Election Administration, outlined the process Wednesday in Window Rock.

“Reapportionment is done every 10 years. So what happens is using population and other data, it has to be equal representation of people. One Council delegate represents so many people. So (it’s) similar to redistricting,” she said. “But we don’t redraw the lines. We keep the chapter boundaries intact.”

She added that chapter representation could shift to meet population targets. “Chapters’ representation may change from current; to make it equal for each Council delegate, there may be a switch,” she said, noting final changes will depend on calculations still being completed.

To read the full article, please see the Aug. 14, 2025, edition of the Navajo Times.

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