The Cherokee Nation will not amend its election laws for the upcoming principal chief’s race. At its regular Rules Committee meeting Thursday, the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council voted 8-4 to table a bill by acting Council Speaker Cara Cowan Watts of Claremore that would have codified a July 12 request from the council that the tribe’s Election Commission bring in a third-party organization to observe next month’s election.
The proposal also would have required voters to show identification when arriving to vote, such as a driver’s license, citizenship card, voter registration card or other identification specified by the Election Commission. The tribe’s election law allows for poll workers to identify voters by sight, rather than photo identification, if they know the voter in question.
Additionally, the proposal also would have barred anyone who is not a tribal marshal, poll worker, Election Commission employee or active voter from loitering within 300 feet of polling places on Election Day.
After the meeting, Cowan Watts confirmed that the committee would not bring up the amendment again until after the election, scheduled for Sept. 24.
Full Article: Cherokee Nation votes to keep same laws for upcoming election | Tulsa World.