BY BRITTNEY BENNETT
EDITOR
TAHLEQUAH - The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians Election Board has completed background checks and approved 31 candidates to run for office during the Nov. 2, 2020 UKB Tribal Council Election.
This year all four officer positions and all nine district representative seats are up for election.
Candidates for Chief are as follows: Donald Adair, Joe Bunch, Anile Locust, Woodrow Proctor and Roxana Wilden. Bunch currently serves as Chief.
Candidates for Assistant Chief are as follows: Jimmy Thirsty Sr., Jamie Thompson and Jeff Wacoche. Thompson currently serves as Assistant Chief.
Candidates for Secretary are as follows: Joyce Fourkiller, Teresa Hair, Ronny Livers and Charlotte Wolfe. Fourkiller currently serves as Secretary.
Candidates for Treasurer are as follows: Marlene Ballard, Sonja Gourd and James Walters. The winner will replace outgoing Treasurer Ella Mae Worley.
All candidates for officer positions will appear on the ballots in each district. Voters will make selections for each category in addition to voting for their individual district representative.
In the Canadian District, Incumbent Eddie Sacks drew no challengers and will be sworn in during the regularly scheduled tribal council meeting to be held the first Saturday in January 2021. Voters will still need to report to the Warner Senior Citizens Center located at 802 3rd Avenue in Warner to vote on officer positions.
In the Cooweescoowee District, Incumbent Jeannie Tidwell will face off against challenger Clifford Wofford. Cooweescoowee District voters will need to report to Emmanuel Baptist Church located at 828 S. Muskogee Avenue in Claremore.
In the Delaware District, Archie Buzzard will face off against Caleb Grimmett to replace outgoing Representative Adalene Smith. Delaware District voters will need to report to the Jay Senior Citizens Center located at 816 S. Main in Jay.
In the Flint District, Incumbent Frankie Still drew no challengers and will be sworn in during the regularly scheduled tribal council meeting to be held the first Saturday in January 2021. Voters will still need to report to the Stilwell Community Building located at 320 N. 6th Street in Stilwell to vote on officer positions.
In the Goingsnake District, Incumbent Sharon Benoit will face off against challenger William Christie. Goingsnake District voters will have two sites for voting. Voters can visit Oaks City Hall at 128 E. Sequoyah Dr. in Oaks or Maryetta Public School at 470819 E. 810 Rd. in Stilwell.
In the Illinois District, Incumbent Peggy Girty will face off against challenger Leroy Hicks. Illinois District voters will need to report to the Cookson Hills Center located at 32087 Highway 82 S. in Cookson.
In the Saline District, Incumbent Charles Smoke drew no challengers and will be sworn in during the regularly scheduled tribal council meeting to be held the first Saturday in January 2021. Voters will still need to report to New Jordan Church located at N. 4428 Kenwood Rd. near Salina to vote on officer positions.
In the Sequoyah District, Junior Catron, Joey Duvall and Maudeen Vann will face off to replace outgoing Representative Barry Dotson. Sequoyah District voters will need to report to the Sallisaw Nutrition Center at 115 W. Redwood in Sallisaw.
In the Tahlequah District, Sammy Allen and Alvin Hicks will face off to replace outgoing Representative Jeff Wacoche. Tahlequah District voters will need to report to the UKB Wellness Center located at 18529 W. Keetoowah Circle in Tahlequah.
To be eligible to vote, Keetoowahs must be 21 or older by the Nov. 2 election day, have been an exclusive Keetoowah member for at least six months, be a resident or affiliated with a particular district and be listed in the official Voter List in the district of which the member wishes to vote. They must also present their Keetoowah ID on the day of the election to verify identity.
According to the Keetoowah Election Ordinance, an eligible voter residing in the territory known as the “Old Cherokee Nation” will be allowed to vote in the district in which they have resided for a period of three months prior to the election. If the Keetoowah has changed residences in the three months prior to voting, they will “not be entitled to vote in the new district” until the next election. Instead, voters must vote in the old district of which their name appears on the Voters List.
No absentee voting shall be permitted. For voters with physical disabilities, precinct workers will be on hand at each polling place to assist with the voting process.
To view the full Election Ordinance, click below.
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