Oklahoma: Cherokee Election Commission Will See If Former Citizens Voted | KOTV.com

The Cherokee Nation Election Commission was granted permission to see if any former Cherokee citizens voted in last month’s disputed Principal Chief election. The Cherokee Supreme Court gave the go ahead Saturday during a hearing to determine the winner in the close election.

The commission will check a list of voters against a list of relinquished Cherokee citizens who are not eligible to vote in Cherokee elections. To do so, they will release a list of “C.O. numbers,” a unique number given to every Cherokee citizen, to compare with the list of citizens who cast their votes.

Attorneys for Bill John Baker raised the concern that relinquished citizenship is an issue that should be dealt with on the district court level, according to Cherokee law, and should not be handled by the supreme court.

Oklahoma: Cherokee Supreme Court hears testimony on the handling of ballots | Poten & Partners

The Cherokee Nation Supreme Court begun hearing testimony Friday morning on irregularities in the principal chief’s election. Principal Chief Chad Smith on Tuesday asked the nation’s supreme court justices to order a machine-conducted recount of ballots cast in the June 25 election or to invalidate the election and call for a new election.

On Friday, the Supreme Court heard election commissioners and staff members before breaking for lunch, with questions coming from the justices and then from each of the campaigns. Other witnesses that were planned to be called for testimony were sequestered for questioning later in the day.

All of the election commissioners present and Terry Rainey, a contractor who had been hired to provide and oversee electronic voting machines, agreed that the tally of votes at the end of the recount was in error.

Oklahoma: Election Commissioners testify that recount is wrong | Cherokee Phoenix

Four Cherokee Nation Election Commissioners testified in front of the tribe’s Supreme Court today that they believe the recount numbers in the disputed principal chief’s race are wrong.

During a hearing regarding Principal Chief Chad Smith’s appeal of the election, EC Vice-Chairwoman Brenda J. Walker, Secretary Martha Callico and Commissioners Patsy Eads-Morton and Curtis L. Rohr told Supreme Court justices that they believe the recount numbers that they, along with former Chairman Roger L. Johnson, certified on June 30 are inaccurate.

Oklahoma: Baker files motion to intervene in appeal of recount | Cherokee Phoenix

The Cherokee Nation Supreme Court has a busy docket tomorrow, as it’s set to hear petitions, appeals and motions regarding the 2011 general election. One of those is a motion to intervene that was filed today by Principal Chief-elect Bill John Baker.

Baker filed the motion to intervene in Principal Chief Chad Smith’s July 5 appeal of the Election Commission’s June 30 recount that gave Baker a 266-vote win in the principal chief’s race.

Designating himself as the movant or petitioner, Baker states he was certified the winner by the EC and is an interested party because the election results, recount and appeal directly impact his interests as chief-elect.

Oklahoma: Smith campaign worker alleges disorganization in recount | Tulsa World

Eight exhibits attached to Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith’s appeal of the tribe’s recent election became available to the public Wednesday morning.

Smith filed the appeal Tuesday afternoon, asking the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court to either order a machine-conducted recount of the ballots cast in the June 26 election or, failing that, invalidate the certified recount results and call for a new election. Currently, challenger Bill John Baker is the chief-elect, having won a hand recount conducted Thursday afternoon and evening by a 266-vote margin.

Oklahoma: Cherokee Nation election chairman turns in resignation letter | Tulsa World

Cherokee Nation Election Commission chairman Roger Johnson filed a resignation letter early Tuesday morning. No action has been taken yet on the filed letter.

“My honor, character and integrity have been unreasonably damaged,” he wrote, citing inaccurate media reports in the election’s aftermath.

The Cherokee Nation Supreme Court has set a hearing for 8:30 a.m. Friday on all pending applications and motions.

Oklahoma: Cherokee chief-elect: Incumbent should step aside | MiamiHerald.com

The chief-elect of one of the nation’s largest American Indian tribes called on the incumbent to give up the post Tuesday, as tribe officials confirmed a new election could be called if the bitter back-and-forth and legal wrangling don’t stop.

A recount determined longtime councilman Bill John Baker had defeated chief Chad Smith by 266 votes in the June 25 election, but Smith wants another recount. The election was very close, with Baker first declared the winner by 11 votes, and then Smith announced as the winner by seven before the recount threw the election back to Baker.

Smith has since appealed, and the Cherokee Nation’s Supreme Court set arguments for Friday. If things get any more contentious, the court could intervene and order a new election, officials said Tuesday.

Oklahoma: Cherokee election compared to Florida 2000 vote fracas | Native American Times

Cherokee Nation council members expressed hope last week that the controversy swirling around the disputed election for the principal chief’s office can be resolved amicably. The election and its aftermath are drawing comparisons to the famed recount in the 2000 presidential election in Florida involving Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore.

Longtime tribal councilman and challenger Bill John Baker, who trailed three-term incumbent Chad Smith by seven votes in the latest count from Saturday’s June 25 election, filed a formal recount request June 29.

Oklahoma: Cherokee chief looks to justices for recount | Tulsa World

After a quiet Independence Day weekend, the fireworks in the Cherokee Nation’s principal chief race could reignite as early as Tuesday morning. Tuesday is the soonest that the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court can rule on a request for an injunction filed by current principal chief Chadwick “Corntassel” Smith just before 5 p.m. Friday.

In his petition to the court, Smith demanded that the election commission finish Thursday night’s recount using a machine. The results of Thursday night’s hand recount were certified as official, but the Smith campaign maintains the recount is incomplete because there is a 251-vote discrepancy between the sum of the votes counted Thursday and those in the original certified results announced Monday.

Oklahoma: Cherokee Chief Asks For Machine Recount | KTUL.com

The war of words over the Cherokee Nation’s Election results continues this holiday weekend. Principal Chief Chad Smith wants a machine recount. Smith lost the election after the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court upheld the election and certified Bill John Baker as the new principal chief on Thursday.

Earlier, Baker was declared the winner in an unofficial vote, then Smith was certified the winner Monday, and now it’s Baker win, by a 271 vote difference.  Smith says he wants to get to the bottom of the different vote counts and there’s only one way to do it.

Oklahoma: Vaults breached twice, Cherokee chief recount still not under way | Tulsa World

Principal chief candidate Bill John Baker says testimony given during a Cherokee Supreme Court hearing today has proven that vaults holding the votes were breached between Sunday after the election and Monday morning.

“We just found that the vault has been breached twice since they said that they’ve locked it up and the envelopes have been taken out,” Baker said to reporters during a recess in the hearing today. “We’re going to go back in and see what the justices think about them saying they hadn’t breached the vault and the vault being breached twice.”

The Supreme Court hearing was to determine whether ballots were safely maintained and that the chain of custody wasn’t breached during the tabulation. In the hearing are four Supreme Court justices; both chief candidates; Attorney for the Election Commission Lloyd Cole of Stilwell, Election Commission chair Roger Johnson, Smith attorney Dean Luthey and Baker attorney Kalyn free; and seven members of the media.

Oklahoma: Cherokees protest election outcome | Cherokee Phoenix

About 60 people, ranging from children to elders, gathered June 30 at the Election Commission building to protest the certified results of the Cherokee Nation’s principal chief race and support challenger Bill John Baker.

“What we’re doing today is we’re asking and praying that the Election Commission do an honest count because we have had several different stories of how the count was arrived at after the election was to be certified Sunday morning (June 26) just after 7 a.m. by the Election Commission,” Linda O’Leary, a former Tribal Councilor and one of the protestors, said.

Certified election results show Principal Chief Chad Smith with 7,609 votes to Tribal Councilor Baker’s 7,602. Unofficial results released by the EC on June 26 showed Baker leading with 7,600 votes to Smith’s 7,589.

An Internet- and Facebook-based group called Cherokees ForTruth organized the peaceful protest. According to its webpage, the protests were slated for June 30-July 1 at the EC building.

Oklahoma: The Cherokee Nation Chief election will go to a recount | kjrh.com

The tight Cherokee Nation chief election will now be hand counted beginning at 9 a.m. Thursday. Initially, challenger Bill John Baker was named the un-official winner of the Cherokee Nation election on Sunday, by 11 votes

On Monday, the official results showed incumbent Chief Chad Smith the winner by seven votes. Both candidates hope Thursday’s recount will end the dispute.

“I think it’s black eye on the Cherokee Nation, I think it’s a travesty to the citizens that voted because they ought to know that their vote counted,” said candidate Bill John Baker.

Oklahoma: Baker accuses Smith employees of tampering with Cherokee election | Tulsa World

Cherokee Nation principal chief candidate Bill John Baker on Wednesday afternoon formally requested a recount of this weekend’s election.

The tribe’s election commission overturned the unofficial results posted on its website early Sunday morning. The unofficial tally — 7,600 to 7,589 — listed Baker as the winner by 11 votes, but official figures released by the commission Monday afternoon declared current chief Chad Smith the victor by a 7,609-7,602 margin.

“We demand to know what caused the change in vote tally. We want to know who demanded the change and why,” he said at a news conference. “All Cherokees should demand to know the truth.”

Oklahoma: Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma election draws comparisons to 2000 presidential vote in Florida | The Republic

Cherokee Nation council members expressed hope Tuesday that the controversy swirling around the disputed election for the principal chief’s office can be resolved amicably. The election and its aftermath are drawing comparisons to the famed recount in the 2000 presidential election in Florida involving Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore.

Longtime tribal councilman and challenger Bill John Baker, who trailed three-term incumbent Chad Smith by seven votes in the latest count from Saturday’s election, didn’t file a formal recount request Tuesday but is expected to do so by Wednesday’s 5 p.m. deadline.

The Cherokee Nation is Oklahoma’s largest American Indian tribe and one of the nation’s biggest, with membership approaching 300,000 members.

Oklahoma: Cherokees elect chief but recount needed – UPI.com

The Cherokee Nation elected a new principal chief by just 11 votes and a recount is under way, officials in Oklahoma said.

After a night of counting and recounting, tribal council member Bill John Baker defeated incumbent Principal Chief Chad Smith by a 7,600 to 7,589, the Tulsa World reported Monday.

“Every day on the campaign trail, I have said ‘we all come from one fire,'” Baker said. “Now that the election is over, I hope we can all join together to keep our fire burning brighter than ever before.”

Oklahoma: Certified Results: Cherokee Chief Chad Smith Wins By 7 | KOTV.com

The Cherokee Nation election commission says its official count of the ballots from last weekend’s election give the victory to incumbent principal chief Chad Smith by seven votes.

The certified results released Monday afternoon in Tahlequah have Chad Smith with 7,609 votes and challenger Bill John Baker with 7,602 votes. Over the weekend, the unofficial results had Baker winning by 11 votes.

“If you recall at the close of Saturday night, at the close of the regular ballot count, I was leading. And something happened between 2 o’clock in the morning and 7 o’clock the next morning. I was trailing,” Smith said.