DURANGO, Colo. (AP) – An effort to remove Southern Ute Indian Tribe Chairman Matthew Box has failed because not enough people voted in a recall election.

The Durango Herald reports that results released Dec. 6 showed that 269 people voted in the election Friday, and 39 voted by absentee ballot.

But more than half the tribe's 844 registered members had to vote for the election to be binding. Box urged supporters not to vote.

Tribe spokeswoman Andrea Taylor says the votes weren't tallied.

Organizers of the recall effort accused Box and his appointed executive officer, Johnny Valdez, of mismanagement. They have called for an audit of the tribe's business dealings and say they'll keep pushing for changes.

Box was elected chairman in 2008 and his term ends next November.

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Information from: Durango Herald, http://www.durangoherald.com