UPDATE: Apache County Election Certification Can Proceed, Court REJECTS Navajo Nation Suit To Allow For More Ballot Curing Time (READ Filings, Order)

Apache County will not have to delay tomorrow's canvass of the election results in order to give voters additional time to cure any signature mismatches, a Superior Court judge ruled. As of this afternoon, the Navajo Nation had not appealed the ruling, meaning the canvass will proceed in a timely manner.

The Navajo Nation filed the suit last week after the Arizona Supreme Court had rejected another effort to extend the ballot curing period (which ended on November 10). The suit was based upon information that approximately 180 voters had not been notified by the Apache County Recorder's Office of issues with their signatures before Saturday, Nov. 9, and that some of those issues were because processing the early ballots had been delayed.

Ethel Branch, Navajo Nation AG

Apache County employees clarified their statements to Judge Michael Latham yesterday, and he quickly found "that all voters in Apache County, including the voters on the Navajo Nation were properly notified... regarding inconsistent signatures within the applicable deadline."

Navajo Nation Attorney General Ethel Branch shared with the courts her difficulties in confirming that her early vote had been processed. It took several days and phone calls to learn that there had not been any signature issues and that it had been counted.

The Navajo Nation Department of Justice tells Arizona's Law that they are continuing to collect information about voters experiences with Apache County - the Arizona portion of Navajo Nation land is in Apache, Navajo and Coconino counties - and may take further action to ensure that members of the Navajo Nation are able to be confident that their votes are as important as those of Apache County residents outside of the Navajo Nation.

This article was reported by AZ Law founder Paul Weich. 

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