CONCHO, Okla. – According to certified results released late Nov. 6 by one of the two claimant Cheyenne and Arapaho election commissions, the general election for governor and lieutenant governor ended in a tie.

Unofficial results posted late last Tuesday and early Wednesday from the commission recognized by Janice Prairie Chief-Boswell’s administration initially showed Roberta Hamilton and Jerry Levi edging out Rollin “Eddie” Hamilton and Cornell Sankey by 10 votes. The two sets of candidates finished first and second in the Tribes’ Oct. 8 primary.

However, in the certification announcement, the commission said it disallowed 85 ballots that were originally included in the unofficial results, creating a tie and the need for a third election. Among the excluded ballots were an unsigned absentee ballot and 84 that were cast by tribal citizens whose names could not be found on the voter registration list. The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes’ election code does not include language about provisional ballots.          

Unofficial results had 1,482 votes cast in the executive branch race, while the certified results showed 1,398 ballots counted.

After initially deferring all comment to its attorney, a representative for the Prairie Chief-Boswell affiliated election commission requested all questions about the general election be submitted in writing to the commission’s interim chairman, William Sankey. Neither the commission nor its Oklahoma City-based attorney, Michelle Cecelia responded to requests for comment as of noon Saturday, but according to a public notice released Friday evening, the commission is meeting Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. in the Concho complex’s large conference room to discuss challenges, recount requests and a special election.

Christopher Roman Nose, a volunteer manager for Rollin Hamilton and Sankey’s campaign, confirmed that his clients filed both a recount request and a formal challenge to the certified results that will be considered at Tuesday’s meeting.

“The whole campaign for both Eddie and Cornell has been an emotional rollercoaster,” Roman Nose said. “They want to do right by the people. That’s why they’re challenging the results. They want to do what’s right.”

Phone calls made to Roberta Hamilton and Jerry Levi’s campaign were not returned Friday. However, in a statement posted to her Facebook page, Roberta Hamilton indicated that she would also challenge the certified results and questioned the validity of those released figures.

“People, please take a stand against this unfair election board and whoever else is involved with this unfair election,” she wrote. “Our people deserve better!”

In addition to the challenges scheduled to go before the Prairie Chief-Boswell administration’s election commission, two hearings contesting the results of last month’s primary elections are scheduled to go before that faction’s Supreme Court Friday afternoon that could potentially force the tribes’ electoral process to start all over. Under the tribes’ election code, tribal citizens may also appeal the results.

Citing voter registration issues, tribal citizen Joyce Wood of El Reno is appealing the primary results. Due to an outstanding debt to the tribes’ previous election contractor, the administration’s election commission did not have complete access to information about previously registered voters, prompting efforts in July and August to re-register more than 3,000 people to vote, despite a constitutional requirement to publish a final voter list no later than Aug. 15.

According to an employee phone directory published on the tribes’ website, Wood is also Prairie Chief-Boswell’s executive assistant. Prairie Chief-Boswell and her running mate, Connie Yellowman-Hart, finished third in last month’s primary.

The other challenge comes from former governor Darrell Flyingman and his running mate, Adrianna Harris, who were the only executive branch candidates to file with both claimant election commissions. However, their names were removed from the Prairie Chief-Boswell affiliated election commission’s ballot prior to the October primary, prompting the challenge.

Despite the changing numbers in the executive branch election, none of the three legislative seats up for grabs saw result changes between the unofficial and official results.

Separated by five votes, Alan Fletcher and Ramona Tallbear finished first and second in Cheyenne District No. 2.

In Arapaho District No. 1, Edward Mosqueda defeated incumbent Jane Nightwalker, the only legislative candidate from any district to file with both claimant election commissions.

In Arapaho District No. 2, Dale Hamilton edged past Michael Martin by six votes to advance to a runoff with Christine Morton.

Kyle Orange was the only Cheyenne District No. 4 candidate to file with the Prairie Chief-Boswell affiliated election commission and has been declared the winner by default.

The Prairie Chief-Boswell affiliated election commission plans to conduct a run-off election on Dec. 17 for the top two finishers in Cheyenne District No. 2 and Arapaho District No. 2. The tribes’ constitution calls for the winners to be sworn in on the first Saturday in January after the election, which is Jan. 4, 2014.

The other claimant election commission, affiliated with the Leslie Wandrie-Harjo administration, has already certified winners in four of the five races. According to paid advertisements published in the Watonga Republican, Marlin Hawk, Fiona Whiteskunk and Michael Kodaseet all ran unopposed for three of the four council seats. Flyingman and Harris were the only executive branch candidates to file with that commission. Results for the fifth seat, Arapaho District No. 1, have not been disclosed.

The Wandrie-Harjo affiliated election commission has also taken out an injunction with that faction’s Supreme Court in an effort to prohibit the other claimant election commission from conducting another vote.

“The issuance of a permanent injunction will promote the public interest and public policies of the tribes by enforcing the legislature’s constitutional rights to consider the constitutional power of the Supreme Court to interpret the Constitution,” Supreme Court Chief Justice Bob Smith wrote.

 

Unofficial results released Nov. 5

Governor/Lieutenant Governor

Roberta Hamilton/Jerry Levi: 746

Rollin “Eddie” Hamilton/Cornell Sankey: 736

 

Certified results published Nov. 6

Governor/Lieutenant Governor

Roberta Hamilton/Jerry Levi: 699

Rollin “Eddie” Hamilton/Cornell Sankey: 699

 

District Results

(no change)

 

Cheyenne District No. 2

Alan Fletcher: 138

Ramona Tallbear: 133

George Woods: 96

 

Cheyenne District No. 4

Kyle Orange: unopposed

 

Arapaho District No. 1

Edward Mosqueda: 91

Jane Nightwalker: 42

 

Arapaho District No. 2

Christine Morton: 159

Dale Hamilton: 90

Michael Martin: 84