Navajo Nation Council votes to cut the recall petition threshold to 25%

Delegates have voted to lower the share of signatures needed to force a recall election on the Navajo Nation from 45% to 25%, according to the Office of the Speaker.

The council approved the legislation on July 20 by a vote of 16 in favor and two opposed. The measure also authorizes the collection of electronic signatures from registered voters in the previous election.

It was introduced following efforts by 70 chapter houses that submitted resolutions calling for the removal of the Nygren/Montoya administration.

"This is a critical need for the Navajo Nation. Our current laws do not protect the Navajo people's votes and their right to petition to remove leadership when they fail to serve the Nation," said Council Delegate Amber Kanazbah Crotty, who sponsored the measure. "The Nation's first attempt to recall a Navajo elected official showed us how hard it is to meet the 45% requirement without using online signatures."

The release sets the threshold against the surrounding states. In Arizona, petition signatures must be at least 25% of the votes cast in the previous general election for the position in question before a recall can be initiated. New Mexico permits recalls for some local officials, and under its Recall Act a petition needs verified signatures equal to at least 33.5% of the votes from the last election for that office.

Council Delegate Cherylin Yazzie, who co-sponsored the legislation, said: "Our main priority is to ensure that the people who elected us also have the ability to elect us out without having to go through further barriers to complete this process."

Once the resolution is certified, President Buu Nygren will have 10 days to act on the measure, the Office of the Speaker said in its announcement of July 29.