© 2024 Public Radio Tulsa
800 South Tucker Drive
Tulsa, OK 74104
(918) 631-2577

A listener-supported service of The University of Tulsa
classical 88.7 | public radio 89.5
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

The Latest:Cherokee Dispute

By AP

Tahlequah, OK – Cherokee chief's motion to compare votes granted

(Information in the following story is from: Tulsa World, http://www.tulsaworld.com)

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (AP) The Cherokee Nation's Supreme Court has granted a motion by Principal Chief Chad Smith as a hearing over the American Indian tribe's disputed election continues.

The Tulsa World reports the court Saturday ordered a comparison of all voters in the tribal election commission's voter database to the tribe's current enrollment registry.

The court is in the second day of hearing Smith's appeal over a hand recount conducted by the commission. The recount showed Baker ahead by 266 votes over Smith, who wants a machine recount. Smith and tribal councilman Bill John Baker were separated by only a handful of votes after the June 25 election.

Unofficial returns gave Baker the lead by 11 votes June 26, but the commission declared Smith the winner the next day by seven votes.