WINDOW ROCK.- Severe flooding across the American Southwest has forced election officials to move Election Day voting at five Navajo Nation polling locations, as swollen rivers and washed-out dirt roads threaten to cut tribal voters off from the ballot box on the day the United States decides control of Congress. The Navajo Election Administration changed the locations of two polling stations in Arizona and three in New Mexico, with communities still dealing with flooding that has gripped the region since October.
The Navajo Nation's reservation surrounds the Four Corners Monument, where Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado meet. Rivers have overflowed their banks, some residents have been forced from their homes, and entire communities remain without water or electricity service after last week's storms. In New Mexico's San Juan County, officials ordered new evacuations, including in Navajo communities, as the San Juan River kept rising and was expected to crest Tuesday through Wednesday.
Roads, rivers and relocated voting sites
The disruption reaches beyond tribal land. In Pagosa Springs, Colorado, a voting center and ballot drop box were relocated after the San Juan River peaked at 16.81 feet, according to the Colorado Secretary of State's office; affected residents can request a replacement ballot at any voter center in the state. In Utah's rural San Juan County, voters are being allowed to vote electronically on Tuesday because some may not be able to reach polling places at all.
Arizona's Secretary of State has directed affected voters to a dedicated Navajo Nation voting information page and warns that flooding may affect roads and access, urging voters to check for updates before traveling. Election workers in Navajo County, Arizona, say their biggest worry is remote sites such as Black Mesa, reached only by a sandy dirt road that becomes nearly impassable when wet. "We're ready for plan A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I," Navajo County Deputy Elections Director Christen Haddox said. "Whatever happens, we're going to figure it out."
The Justice Department also announced it would send monitors to polling places in northern Navajo County on tribal land to ensure translations are correct. Voting-rights advocates recall that in the 2024 presidential election, bomb threats forced some Navajo Nation polling sites to close for hours, and the Nation sued to keep them open longer.
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Sources: Associated Press via Gulf News and Korea Times, November 3, 2026; Economic Times live blog, November 3, 2026; KSUT, November 1, 2026; Arizona Secretary of State, Navajo Nation voting information page.