Chickasaw Nation Tribal Election Filing Period

The Chickasaw Nation Election Commission announced that filing period for the 2015 General Election opens June 1 and continues through June 3.

Candidates must file between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. in the election secretary’s office in the Government Services building, 2015 Lonnie Abbott Industrial Boulevard, Ada, OK.

Seats up for election include governor and lt. governor, five legislative seats and one seat on the Supreme Court.

Legislative seats up for election include Pontotoc District Seat 1, Pontotoc District Seat 2, Pickens District Seat 1, Pickens District Seat 4 and Tishomingo District Seat1.

Seat 2 of the Chickasaw Nation Supreme Court is also up for this year’s election.

Candidates for governor and lt. governor must be registered Chickasaw voters at least 30 years of age and possess no less than one-fourth (1Ž4 ) Chickasaw blood quantum. Candidates must also be residents of the Chickasaw Nation for at least one year immediately preceding the election. Candidates for governor and lt. governor shall run as team.

Governor and lt. governor must remain residents of the Chickasaw Nation during their tenure of office. Term of office is four years.

Filing fees are $2,500 per gubernatorial team.

Legislative candidates must be registered Chickasaw voters at least 25 years of age.

Legislative candidates must also be residents of the Chickasaw Nation for at least one year and of their respective district for at least six months immediately preceding the election.

Legislators must remain residents of their elected district during their tenure of office. Term of office is three years. The filing fee is $500 per legislative candidate.

A judicial candidate must be a registered voter of the Chickasaw Nation at least 30 years of age. Judicial candidates must be residents of the Chickasaw Nation during their tenure of office. Term of office is three years. The filing fee is $500 per judicial candidate.

Candidates must bring verification of physical and mailing address, such as a utility bill or homestead exemption. Filing fee is due at time of filing. Upon filing, candidates must complete a financial disclosure statement. Statements are also due at the end of every month during the candidate’s active campaign period.

Candidates will receive an electoral packet containing election rules and regulations, the Chickasaw Constitution, financial disclosure forms, biography form for the Chickasaw Times, and watcher form. Candidates must not have been convicted of a felony. Background checks are conducted on all candidates.

Primary election is July 28 and run-off election is August 25, if applicable.

For further assistance, please contact Rita Loder, election secretary toll free at 1-888-661-0137.