A Navajo Nation judge says election officials cannot move forward with Tuesday's presidential contest.
Window Rock District Judge Carol Perry says the law is clear that a referendum vote on language requirements for the presidency must be held before Navajos choose their next leader.
Calls to election officials went unanswered late Friday, and their attorney didn't immediately respond to messages. An appeal to the tribe's Supreme Court is likely.
Tribal lawmakers passed a bill earlier this year to fund a referendum that essentially would eliminate a Navajo language fluency requirement for the tribe's top two posts.
The law was challenged in the tribe's Supreme Court, which enforced a previous order to hold the presidential election without further delay. The justices didn't address the referendum scheduled later this spring.
