The Natives Vote website provides information tailored to Native voters, including 1) checking one’s registration status, 2) registering to vote, 3)  mail-in ballot laws, 4)  identifying polling locations and hours of operation, and 5) ensuring one’s identification complies with voter ID requirements.

 In 2018, in response to a change in North Dakota voter ID requirements that occurred only weeks prior to the November midterm elections, community partners organized, trained, and dispatched thirty non-partisan election observers at polling places cross the state to ensure tribal members were able to vote amid the confusing and changing laws. In 2020, the project expanded to launch a national Natives Vote website with culturally relevant and easily accessible information about the voting process. This project continues the success of previous Natives Vote work.

In 2020, the impact of targeted voter outreach to Native communities was clear. Despite the global pandemic and fears of decreased voter participation, many states reported record turnout. This was especially true in Indian Country. For example, in South Dakota every single reservation county had higher turnout than 2016, and six out of eight counties had their highest turnout since 2008.

The challenges Native voters faced in previous years remain. Voting laws are not stagnant, and the need for aggregated information on the changing voting landscape is as great as ever. The Natives Vote project addresses this need, attempting to make all stages of casting a vote as simple as possible.

In tandem with providing voter information and education, this project partners with organizations providing non-partisan poll-watching on election day. Students working on the voting rights project are able to staff a number of rural polling locations in Indian Country to provide education to potential voters, state poll workers, and collect data for partner organizations about barriers to voting.

• Publication of Natives Vote Website

  Additional Info

  The website can be found at https://www.nativesvote.com/.

  ---

  Location

  online resource

  Dates

  Ongoing

  Public or Private

  Public Program (open to the public)

  Program Fee

  No charge to attend/participate in activity or program

  Online Resource

  https://www.nativesvote.com/