Residents of the Navajo Reservation participated in the midterm elections on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, following four weeks of repetitive flooding that displaced thousands and damaged infrastructure. In the town of Dennehotso, Arizona, voters utilized tractors and off-road vehicles to navigate washed-out roads and mud to reach the local Chapterhouse polling station.
The flooding, which began in late September and was exacerbated by a significant surge on October 22, overwhelmed man-made earth dams intended to manage runoff. The resulting water and silt flows destroyed homes, newly constructed roads, and utility lines, leaving portions of the reservation without power or water. According to local contractor Kev Woolboy, who assisted the Navajo Police Department with amphibious vehicle rescues, the volume of rain prevented defensive structures from slowing the water.
On election day, local authorities and volunteers used backhoes to construct temporary access roads and coordinated shuttles for residents cut off from the town center. Among those voting was 92-year-old Lilien Begay, who had lost her home and all identification documents in the floods but was assisted by her family to cast her ballot. Polling sites also served as community gathering points where residents shared meals of fry bread and mutton stew.
The environmental event has forced a change in how residents access basic services and civil functions. Instead of standard vehicle travel, voters reported needing tractors or heavy machinery to traverse silt and goopy mud that remained two weeks after the October 22 surge. This has placed an additional burden on chapter employees and volunteers who must provide shuttles and use industrial equipment to maintain temporary pathways for the community to function.
As of Wednesday, November 4, recovery efforts remain ongoing. While the immediate election has concluded, residents in areas like Dennehotso continue to "dig out" from the reddish-brown silt left behind. The long-term recovery will involve assessing the failure of earth dams and rebuilding infrastructure across the three-state region. No specific deadline for the full restoration of power and water to all affected homes was reported.