Term Limit Questions On Cherokee Nation General Election Ballot

NewsOn6.com

TAHLEQUAH, Oklahoma -- Along with voting for Principal Chief and Deputy Principal Chief, Cherokee Nation voters will decide the fate of three amendments to the tribe's Constitution on Saturday.  

The Cherokee Nation general election on Saturday will decide key elected positions for the next four years, including Principal Chief, Deputy Principal Chief and eight Tribal Council seats.

Two of the three amendments on Saturday's ballot deal with term limits for elected officials.

A vote in favor of Resolution No. 20-09 would remove the current two-term limit placed on the offices of Principal Chief and Deputy Principal Chief. A vote to approve Resolution No. 19-11 would likewise remove the current two-term limit from Tribal Council seats.

The Cherokee Nation says a third amendment, Resolution No. 21-11, concerns how to fill vacancies on the Tribal Council that might occur between elections.

A no vote on any of the measures would mean that the existing language in the Cherokee Nation Constitution would remain the same.

Registered voters can vote on one of many precincts across northeast Oklahoma on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

DISTRICT 1

• Sequoyah Schools - 17091 S. Muskogee Ave. Tahlequah, Okla.
• Keys High School Cafeteria - 26622 S. 540 Rd. - Park Hill, Okla.
• Town Hall building - 111 E. Main - Hulbert, Okla.
• Briggs School - 17210 S. 569 Rd. - Tahlequah, Okla.
• Lowery School library - 21132 E. 640 Rd. - Tahlequah, Okla.
• New Senior Citizens Center - 3701 E. 75th St. (Main Street) - Okay, Okla.

DISTRICT 2

• Wilma P. Mankiller Health Center - Rt. 6, Box 840 - Stilwell, Okla.
• Westville High School - HWY 62 & Park St. - Westville, Okla.
• Cave Springs School - Old Hwy 17 - Bunch, Okla.
• Bell School - Rt. 5, Box 4470 - Stilwell, Okla.
• Grove Community Building - 104 W. 3rd St. - Grove, Okla.
• Jay Senior Citizens Center - 816 Main St. - Jay, Okla.
• Kenwood Nutrition Site - 4 Kenwood 13001 - Salina, Okla.
• Police Dept./Utility Dept. - 150 S. Cherokee St. - Kansas, Okla.
• Skelly School - RT 1, Box 918 - Watts, Okla.
• Community Service Center/City Hall - 201 SW. 1st St. - Afton, Okla.

DISTRICT 3 

• Vian Police Dept. - 100 S. Blackstone - Vian, Okla.
• Marble City Hall - 122 N. Main St. - Marble City, Okla.
• Sallisaw First United Methodist Church - 2100 McGee - Sallisaw, Okla.
• Cherokee Nation Community Center - 601 Main St. - Muldrow, Okla.
• Belfonte School - 475751 St. Hwy 101 - Muldrow, Okla.
• Warner Middle School - Event Center - 1012 5th Ave. - Warner, Okla.
• Ft. Gibson Town Hall - 200 W. Poplar Ave. - Ft. Gibson, Okla.
• Three Rivers Health Center - 1001 S. 41st St. East - Muskogee, Okla.

DISTRICT 4

• Keeler Heights Community Building - 1003 S. Virginia - Bartlesville, Okla.
• Tom Buffington Heights - 900 W. McNelis Ave. - Vinita, Okla.
• Cherokee Nation Community Building - 215 Oklahoma St. - S. Coffeyville, Okla.
• Nowata Senior Citizens Center - 238 N. Maple St. - Nowata, Okla.
• Gateway Assembly of God Church - 440 W. 10th - Welch, Okla.
• Ag Building Fairgrounds - Old Hwy 20 - Pryor, Okla.
• AMO Salina Health Center - 900 N. Owen Walters Blvd. - Salina, Okla.
• Locust Grove City Hall - 109 E. Ross - Locust Grove, Okla.
• Spavinaw Police Dept./City Hall - 103 Lake Ave. - Spavinaw, Okla.

DISTRICT 5

• Trinity Christian Church - 1055 N. Garnett - Tulsa, Okla.
• Collinsville Library - 1223 W. Main - Collinsville, Okla.
• Claremore VFW - 1717 W. Dupont - Claremore, Okla.
• Chelsea Senior Citizens Center - 618 Pine St. - Chelsea, Okla.
• Oologah Assembly of God Church - 13462 S. Hwy 169 - Oologah, Okla.

A run-off election will be held on Saturday, July 23, 2011 to decide any races in which the candidate with the most votes did not receive more than 50 percent of the vote.

For more information call 800-353-2895 or visit http://www.cherokee.org/OurGovernment/Commissions/Election/Default.aspx