TAHLEQUAH – Early voting for the Cherokee Nation’s June 3 General Election opens on May 27 and continues until June 1.
The early voting days are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 27; Tuesday, May 30; Wednesday, May 31; and Thursday, June 1 at the Cherokee Nation Election Commission Office located at 17763 S. Muskogee Ave., in Tahlequah.
“If you missed the deadline to request an absentee ballot for the General Election and would like to vote an absentee ballot, early voting dates are available,” the Cherokee Nation Election Commission office says.
Voters who requested an absentee ballot and who want to hand-deliver them, a drop box is available on the same early voting dates, as well as on election day, at the EC office. According to the EC, absentee ballot return packets must be at the office by 7 p.m. June 3 in order for them to be considered.
For additional information or questions, contact the CN Election Commission via email at election-commission@cherokee.org; or by phone at 918-458-5899 or toll free at 800-353-2895. The commission’s website is election.cherokee.org, and its mailing address is P.O. Box 1188, Tahlequah, OK 74465-1188. The fax number is 918-458-6101.
Election day is Saturday, June 3. A run-off election, if necessary, will take place on July 8, also a Saturday. The ballot includes principal chief, deputy chief and eight of 17 Tribal Council seats, all of which are four-year terms. The districts include 1, 3, 6, 8, 12, 13 and 14, along with one of the council’s two at-large positions.
Principal chief candidates are incumbent Chuck Hoskin Jr., Cara Cowan Watts, Wes Nofire and David Cornsilk.
Deputy principal chief candidates are incumbent Bryan Warner, David Walkingstick, Meredith Frailey and Bill Pearson.
District 1 candidates are Sasha BlackFox-Qualls, Trae Ratliff, Brian Jackson and Dale Glory. Rex Jordan, the district’s councilor since 2015, is terming out this year. District 1 covers portions of Cherokee and Wagoner counties.
District 3 candidates are Brandon Girty, Sara Drywater Barnett, Dyllon Fite, Joseph Tali Byrd, Lisa Robison Hall and Brian Speake. The current councilor, Wes Nofire, was elected in 2019. In this election, he is running for principal chief. District 3 includes much of southern Cherokee County.
District 6 candidates are incumbent Daryl Legg, Steven Russell and Dustin Bush. District 6 covers the eastern part of Sequoyah County.
District 8 candidates include Jerry Hardbarger, Troy Littledeer, Jillian Decker, Timothy Fishinghawk, Jon Minor, Codey Poindexter and John Teehee. Shawn Crittenden has served as a councilor since 2015. His back-to-back terms are up this year. District 8 covers the eastern portion of Adair County, as well as much of its northern border.
District 12 candidates are incumbent Dora Patzkowski and Crystal St. John. District 12 is the most northwestern district within the Cherokee Nation’s reservation. The district encompasses Washington County, southern Nowata County and the extreme northwest of Tulsa County.
District 13 candidates are incumbent Joe Deere and Edward Phillips. District 13 includes portions of Rogers and Tulsa counties.
District 14 candidates are Kevin Easley Jr., Warren Murray and Carrie Ann Vargas. Keith Austin, who was elected in 2015 and again in 2019, is terming out of office. District 14 encompasses the majority of Rogers County.
At-large candidates are incumbent Julia Coates, James Smay, Jared Coody and Craig Hood. At-large Tribal Councilors represent CN citizens living outside the tribe’s reservation boundaries.
