E-mail this story
What if you hold an election and no one wanted to run?
That was a scenario that Edison Wauneka, director of the Navajo Election Administration, was looking at on Monday.
There are 754 positions - chapter and school board -that have to be filled and by Monday only 84 people had signed up to run.
The situation was so bad that the election officials began buying up to 10 spots a day on KTNN radio urging people to run and pointing out that the deadline was this past Wednesday.
What Wauneka didn't want to see is what happened four years ago when no one ran for 160 chapter and school board positions as the filing date came and went. Ninety percent of these, said Wauneka were school board positions.
It was so bad that some school boards were without quorums for several months while the election office tried to get people to run in special elections.
This year there's one major difference from four years ago - the cost to file.
In 2004, the filing fee was $25 but two years ago, in a referendum presented to the Navajo voters, the people agreed to raise this to $200 for all positions, including school boards.
By Wednesday, however, the situation showed improvement as candidates began flooding into the election offices throughout the reservation filing for positions.
One of the people registering candidates at the Window Rock Education Center on Wednesday said the sign-ups throughout the morning were steady and most seemed to have no problem with the $200 filing fee.
As for those who do, she said, all she does is point out that it was a decision by the voters.
At just after 5 p.m. Wednesday, Wauneka said he felt a lot better about this year's election.
"We have been busy ever since Monday," he said.
He didn't have any figures from the various district offices but he said reports throughout the day indicated they have been busy.
The election administration began receiving reports late in the afternoon that the district offices were running out of receipts.
That's a good sign, said Wauneka, pointing out that the district offices had receipt books that would have provided enough for 750 positions.
But even with all this, Wauneka said he was pretty sure that when the numbers are totaled today, there will still be some positions, especially those for school boards, that will have no one filing.
Comment on this story!
12 comments so far (post your own)$200 just to register for positions that they are not guaranteed they'll get? well, if you ask me, i think that the people should have kept the prices at $25. besides, i don't think anyone would want to pay $200 just to run for a position that doesn't really possess a solid foundation of government. with all thats going on with Shirley's veto power build up, its not clear what he'll do with it. so, i can see why no one would want to do what the navajo government is trying to push at them.
Posted by Navajo Citizen on Tuesday, 05.13.08 @ 02:35pm MDT | #315
Well for us at Toh'ajiilee its just to embarrass that the same old people are running again. They won't do anything for us here in To'hajiilee. but I hope some new people run this year for President and Vic-Preident also Secretery. aslo on the School Board. I hope thei will be differnet people run for School Board. We don't wont the same peolpe to run for the school Board. They are not teaching our kids write.So we need some new School Board Preident Especially the PRESIDENT!!! HE IS DOING NOTHING FOR OUR SCHOOL AT TO'HAJIILEE HIGH SCHOOL. SO I HOPE THAT THE SCHOOL CHANGE THIS NEXT YEAR IN 2008.
Posted by brenda platero on Monday, 05.12.08 @ 12:39pm MDT | #314
Hey ag (312)....intelligent people stay away from politics and holding positions in the government. That is one of the reasons why they are intelligent and smart. Just you and me, we are intelligent...we don't spend our valuable time being bureaucrats and lie our way into people confidence.
Posted by Welfare Man on Monday, 05.12.08 @ 09:24am MDT | #313
Iam not surprised.
We need more intelligent people in our government. Not people who squable over funds that will meet their immediate needs. We need planners to look at our future and devise a plan to take us into several decades of our tribal future. We are nothing now compared to some of the other tribes who have made an effort to see their future.
I do not see skyscrapers, international airports, revenues from our own intelligence, freeways to connect the big cities of our nation or other modern advances which could seperate us from today.
I see all of these complaints in our newspapers and that is all we have become. How many readers outside of our tribal borders do you suppose see this and have made us out to be a not so great nation. I think it is time to reevaluate ourselves and begin a new journey to become better as a Nation.
Posted by ag on Monday, 05.12.08 @ 01:26am MDT | #312
Forgot to note that if your relatives are running for office make sure they know what they are getting into as well. Cause people will complain and yeah it goes back directly to your family. Again Navajo politics. Like some Navajos say "I will only do it if I get PAID" well there it is run for your positions. The race is on. Furthermore, don't give preferential treatment to your relatives also, cause it will show and of coarse its expected....
Posted by Whats next.... on Sunday, 05.11.08 @ 11:58am MDT | #311
Well it was good that people are doing something about the government such as running for positions. Although, there are some of us Navajos out there that will critize no matter what. So lets quite nagging (a wish hahahaha) and lets vote. Iam tired of whose to blame all the time. Lets just get the item on the primary agenda and get it done. We can get the NNC delegates down to 24 and lets see what happens next. You can never satisfy us Navajos. If we don't get it our way then we cry foul. So lets reduce the council and we shall see if that was any good. Also its the people that put them delegates there also, so if your responsible for putting your delegate there then you should not say anything. As for those school board postions please put people in there from your respective communities for the benefit of the school and most of all the students. So if something goes wrong please don't nagg. Furthermore, for the chapter elections put the proper people in office again. The governmental system that must be understood for your chapter officials to move projects. Again, if it don't move then don't complain again. Its up to you all to exercise your right to vote and if you don't then just don't say anything. So there u have it my Navajo people its time again to VOTE and do so. Especially tribal employees when you get time off to vote, do so and don't drive around in Gallup or border towns hahahaha. To all you mothers out there HAPPY MOTHERS DAY and God Bless the NAVAJO NATION.
Posted by Whats next.... on Sunday, 05.11.08 @ 11:51am MDT | #310
Why would someone want to pay $200 to run for a school board member position (the fee charged according to the story)? Being a school board member is a volunteer unpaid position that is essential. But it is very challenging and time consuming. It sounds like the $200 filing fee is discouraging good people away. That is a lot of money these days!
Posted by Jim on Saturday, 05.10.08 @ 02:48pm MDT | #309
Thar what happens when the the system does not facilitate the true needs of the people and the the electorate becomes disillusioned with the bad examples and negative history related to Navajo politics! It all comes back to affect us in this and many and diverse ways. Are we ready for true and leaders? That is the question that we face as a Nation at this critical crossroad or juncture in the history of the Navajo Nation and government.
Posted by wilbur Nelson, Jr. on Saturday, 05.10.08 @ 02:08pm MDT | #308
I dont blam people for not wanting to run only because people dont want to fight for whats right anymore. Our ways are easily being given up and they want to spend more time at the casinos so maybe if they make that part of a bundle deal people will want to get elected, they can have a meeting and even elections there. that way thewont be saying budget cuts they can finally say where the money all went. WHAT HAVE WE YOUNGER GENERATION DONE TO DESERVE THIS. YOU ALL SAY YOU LOOK TO US FOR A BETTER TOMARROW COULD SOME ONE PLEASE PAVE A BETTER ROAD FOR US AND GIVE US A FIGHTING CHANCE....PLEASE
Posted by phxeb on Saturday, 05.10.08 @ 12:46pm MDT | #307
Is this the sign of dying nation?
The old Maii's prediction is proven correct again....maii predicted hundreds of years ago human beings self-government is frail, will collapse from within.
Posted by WomanizerFromShiprock on Saturday, 05.10.08 @ 09:47am MDT | #306
This is an embarrassment to the Great Navajo Nation and our Ancestors!
Posted by JRE on Saturday, 05.10.08 @ 02:35am MDT | #305
Where is the facilitator?
Posted by Anderson on Saturday, 05.10.08 @ 01:04am MDT | #304