Saint Regis name change referendum postponed

(Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston, File)

AKWESASNE, N.Y. – The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council has postponed its name change referendum until the middle of next year.

The council announced last week it would be suspending the referendum until the June 2021 tribal elections due to the rising cases of COVID-19.

The proposed name change up for a vote is “Akwesasne Mohawk Tribe.”

The tribal council previously cancelled in-person and in-home voting that was to take place on Nov. 9, Nov. 10 and Nov. 14 but went ahead with absentee voting, with counting originally scheduled to take place today (Dec. 9). Now, the absentee voting has also been nixed.

The tribal council says absentee ballots will be voided and destroyed.