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County says no satellite elections office planned for primary unless tribes request one
Summary
During public comment, commissioners said they had invited tribes to request a satellite elections office but had not received responses; the county will not open a satellite office for the primary unless tribes ask for one, and Commissioner Macdonald said he will consult tribal leadership ahead of November.
NPI reporter Bill VanderWheele asked the board whether Roosevelt County would operate a satellite elections office following comments raised by Western Native Voice during a Tribal Executive Board meeting. Commissioner Gordon Oelkers said the county mailed letters to tribal governments seeking input and received no response; he said the county will not open a satellite office for the primary election unless a tribe requests one. Commissioner Gary Macdonald said he planned to meet with the tribal chair to discuss the possibility ahead of the November election.
Commissioners described prior experience with satellite offices, saying they sometimes drew low turnout and that, in past instances, the county had concerns about ballot handling at temporary sites. No new policy was adopted at the meeting; commissioners said they would rely on tribal requests to determine whether to open a satellite office for future elections.
