The Navajo County Board of Supervisors convened for a regular meeting Tuesday, Aug. 11, during which County Manager Bryan Layton presented regarding the July 21 primary election and to address questions pertaining to the 1,357 returned early mail-in ballots and the discovery of 3,000 blank ballots from the 2024 election.
Layton explained that early ballots being returned by United States Postal Service is to be expected and not unique to Navajo County, but the usual number of returned ballots was not stated. “Ballots are designed not to be forwarded. They can’t be forwarded and that triggers additional steps to clean-up voter rolls.”
Follow-up efforts were outlined for the board, including notification letters that were sent by the Recorder’s Officer as well as political parties providing outreach to all those whose ballots were returned, which included door-to-door and phone call outreach.
A sample of 200 ballots were analyzed by the postal service, which revealed that 66% were returned due to a permanent, temporary or expired change of address on file. “Other reasons include address was vacant, insufficient address or PO box was closed,” stated Layton.
New mailers that are designed to be forwardable, automated calls, emails and text messages are being implemented as additional notice avenues. Layton also encouraged residents to reach out to the recorder’s office with their updated address if they suspect their ballots were returned.
The finding of 3,000 unused ballots at a Heber/Overgaard polling location was also addressed by Layton, in which he clarified the ballots were unused and still in shrink wrap from 2024 general election. “We are beginning our investigation and will report back.”
Additional steps being taken while the investigation is underway includes a secondary audit by the county’s finance team at pre- and post-election, a comprehensive review of training manual and procedures, and an evaluation of potential implemented of on-demand printers to reduce pre-printed ballots.
Layton also apologized for the wording in a press release the county shared on the matter on July 27. “In that press release it said that ballots were not returned as required. Now to clarify, poll workers are not responsible for returning ballots and equipment. That is the responsibility of county staff.” Layton stated that he received many comments interpreting the press release as blaming a poll worker for those ballots not being returned. “I apologize, that was not the intent.”
Prior to the presentation, Vice Chair Dawnafe Whitesinger spoke on the issue. “In the light of the recent incident involving ballot discovery in a storage area, I have spent a considerable amount of time speaking with staff, reviewing the circumstances surrounding the matter and understanding the additional safeguards and procedures that will be implemented going forward.” She explained the importance of fair and secure elections and added her appreciation for the work being done by staff to rectify the matter and strengthen weak spots in procedures. “As a member of this board, I will continue to exercise the oversight responsibility entrusted to me and work to ensure that we protect both the integrity of our election systems and the confidence of the citizens that we serve.”
Several county residents spoke during call to the public regarding the recent election, including Overgaard poll worker Jerry Hubbard. During the July 21 election, Hubbard stated it was at his polling location that an inspector found the 3,000 unused ballots. Hubbard was angered by the insinuation made, blaming poll workers in the press release. “This is just another example of the carelessness and breakdown of the chain of custody that happens with this election department,” said Hubbard.
Kayenta resident Jaynie Parrish also voiced her concerns over elections conducted within the county, beginning much earlier than the July 21 election. “What started this concern is when the county elected a man in 2024 as their county recorder who pulled a gun on two young men, Native men, during a road rage incident. He was later indicted, appointed. He then resigned,” She continued, saying, “The board then appointed his replacement, a former state legislator, who, by his own voting record in the legislature, supported banning vote centers and restricting mail-in voting. He’s the one seeing over our elections now.” She also noted that the returned mail-in ballots contradicted claims from residents that their addresses were correct, which can break down trust amongst voters. “We know the legacy of how hard it’s been for Native people to vote, and we’re still fighting for that right today.” In addition to Parrish, members of the Hopi and Apache tribes also addressed the concerns regarding the returned ballots. Triston Black echoed Parrish’s sentiments and advocated for the county to be clear about its voting practices, how returned mail-in ballots work and protocol for overcoming barriers that can occur in rural areas on the reservation. “On election day, we saw a lot of flooding, we saw some power outages and a lot of unforeseen issues. So, what is the coordination plan for that?” asked Black.
Brent Meyer also spoke during call to the public, imploring the county to allow for a discussion and vote on Flock Safety cameras, which are used as license plate readers that can log details on passing vehicles into searchable databases.
