Pawnee Nation Announces Cancellation of Secretarial Election to Ensure Proper Notice and Compliance with Nation Law

Pawnee, Oklahoma — The Pawnee Business Council provides the following update to Pawnee Nation voters regarding the Secretarial Election on proposed constitutional amendments.

The election previously scheduled for March 2026 has been cancelled to ensure that all Nation members receive proper notice of the procedures governing the election and to ensure the process is carried out in accordance with Pawnee Nation law.

In recent weeks, there was confusion regarding the respective duties and obligations of the Pawnee Nation Election Board and the Bureau of Indian Affairs in connection with the federal Secretarial Election process. That confusion concerned how the federal Secretarial Election should be implemented at the Nation level and what procedures were required to properly provide notice to voters. On March 13, 2026, the Nation received formal clarification that, in implementing a federal Secretarial Election, the Nation is to follow its own laws. This clarification follows the Department’s March 12, 2026 correspondence concurring in the withdrawal of the prior petition for a Secretarial Election and urging the Nation to work within the framework of its governing document.  To protect the integrity of the process and to ensure every eligible Nation member is afforded fair and proper notice, the previously scheduled election has been cancelled.

The Pawnee Business Council remains committed to working with the Election Board to bring the proposed amendments to a vote as soon as feasible. The Council’s objective is to move forward in a manner that is orderly, lawful, transparent, and respectful of the rights of Pawnee Nation voters.

Additional information will be provided to Nation members as soon as the revised procedures and timeline are finalized.

Media Contact: Phone: 918-762-3621
jglittlesun@pawneenation.org
881 Little Dee Dr., Pawnee, OK 74058