By Braden Harper,Managing Editor
MVSKOKE RESERVATION – Soon Muscogee (Creek) Nation citizens will vote on a new constitutional amendment that could reestablish district voting in the 2025 election. If the proposal, NCA 24-096, receives the required 2/3rds of the vote, it would amend Articles Four and Six of the MCN Constitution. Currently all voters, in MCN Elections, regardless of residency, are eligible to vote for National Council Representatives from all eight districts. The current law has been in effect since November 7, 2008.
Currently section seven of article four of the MCN Constitution states that “all citizens should be allowed to vote for the Principal Chief and any such national office that shall be created.” If the amendment is adopted, it would change the law to “all eligible voters shall be allowed to vote for the Principal Chief and Second Chief.” It would also include a new section eight stating, “eligible voters having legal residence in a district shall be allowed to vote in an election for that specific district”. Current eligibility requirements include that voters must be a MCN citizen, they must be registered to vote and they must be eighteen years of age on the date of the election.
The changes to article six, section one, proposed by the amendment would update the spelling of three districts to the traditional Mvskoke spelling. This includes Muscogee to Mvskoke, Tulsa to Tvlse, and Wagoner Rogers/Mayes to Kowetv. The changes to section two of article six updates the language to “Each representative shall be elected by a vote of his/her respective district”. The term length for council representatives still lasts for four years. If the proposed amendment is adopted, this would go into effect for the 2027 elections, pertaining to the next Chief, Second Chief and Seat B Council Reps.
According to NCA 24-096, it states a proposed amendment is a necessary change. It states,
“There is a need to reestablish district voting to strengthen communications/correspondence and accessibility to build open relationships with National Council Representatives and provide more accountability and transparency of National Council Representatives with the district they are elected to represent. Citizens have been requesting an amendment to the constitution to return to district voting for National Council Representatives for several years.”
The proposal was signed into law by MCNC Speaker Randall Hicks and Principal Chief David Hill. The date for the 2025 MCN Primary Election has yet to be officially announced.
