Recount faults still unfixed as 2026 Navajo election nears, former candidates warn
By Donovan Quintero
Special to the Times
WINDOW ROCK – Nearly three years after a presidential recount shook Navajo Nation politics and exposed gaps in ballot handling, voter access and election procedures, former presidential candidates say little has changed. They see few signs that systemic problems have been corrected. And they worry the 2026 election cycle will again test confidence in the tribal democratic process.
At the center of their concern is the Nation’s aging election infrastructure, including weak voter education, outdated vote counting technology, inconsistent chapter level administration, ballot security issues and patchwork staffing. Those issues became visible during the 2022 recount initiated by former candidates Emily Ellison, Rosanna Jumbo Fitch and Ethel Branch.
This week, Veronica Shirley, the interim director for the Navajo Election Administration, acknowledged that the issues raised have not been forgotten.
“We’re addressing it,” Shirley said on Wednesday. “Slowly and hope we can work it out. Some of the things that they’re requesting it still needs further review, but we’re addressing certain items.”
To read the full article, please see the Dec. 11, 2025, edition of the Navajo Times.
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