WINDOW ROCK, Navajo Nation — Unofficial results from the November 3, 2026, Navajo Nation general election show Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley and running mate Chris Deschene leading presidential candidate Justin Jones and running mate Emily Ellison by 1,115 votes. Curley/Deschene received 32,094 votes (50.88%) to Jones/Ellison’s 30,979 votes (49.12%) across all 110 chapters, according to the Navajo Election Administration. If certified, Curley would become the first woman elected president of the Navajo Nation. Results remain unofficial and cannot be certified until at least 10 days after the election, creating a window for challenges under Title 11 of the Navajo Nation Code.
Jones, a Farmington attorney who finished first in the July 21 primary, has refused to concede. On election night he stated, “We are not conceding. The fight has just begun,” citing what he described as “dark, gray mathematical errors” and “procedural irregularities and compliance concerns across various polling locations.” He has indicated he is pursuing a recount and broader legal challenges under the Election Code, including potential subpoenas related to campaign activities and prior candidate qualifications. Navajo Times reporting on November 12 notes that Jones has requested a recount while Curley holds the 1,115-vote lead.
Recount and Challenge Process Under Navajo Law
Under Title 11, a candidate may formally object to results and request a recount of ballots at any polling place by paying a $50 fee to the Navajo Nation within 10 days after the election for the cost of recounting one position. The Navajo Board of Election Supervisors may also initiate a recount on its own if it finds substantial irregularity in voting or counting. The board may use the chief poll judge to assist in canvassing and recounting. Results are presumed regular and proper; the contestant must show that any alleged irregularity changed the outcome or prevented a fair election. Disputed elections can be appealed to the Office of Hearings and Appeals, with further review possible by the Navajo Nation Supreme Court. Nothing in the code specifically addresses a non-concession by the second-place candidate outside the standard 10-day grievance window