Farmington, N.M. — A Navajo Nation referendum election on whether to effectively scrap a requirement that candidates for tribal president and vice president speak the Navajo language fluently has been rescheduled to July 21.
According to The Daily Times in Farmington, Navajo Election Administration Executive Director Edison Wauneka says the date was changed from June 9 because the Navajo Nation Council for a time considered placing additional questions on the ballot, which it ultimately didn't.
Voters will decide whether a candidate's ability to speak and understand Navajo and English would be determined by voters when they cast ballots.
The fluency issue spurred controversy last year when candidate Chris Deschene was disqualified as a presidential candidate after he refused to take a test on his ability to speak Navajo fluently.