June 2, 2024, marks the 100th anniversary of The Indian Citizen Act. However, in 1924, while Native Americans were finally recognized as citizens of the United States, they did not have the same rights as other Americans. Their right to vote was challenged for many more decades; tactics like poll taxing, literacy tests, and intimidation kept many Native Americans from voting. Even during both World Wars, Native American veterans were denied their right to vote in a country they fought for. Many tribes began to win the right to vote by fighting it state-to-state.
In 1965, the Voting Rights Act strengthened the voting rights that Native Americans had won in every state along with other minorities. Congress passed the Act as it was evident that racial discrimination in voting had been notable in certain parts of the country. This ban included literacy tests, character assessments, and other practices that deprived the legal right for minorities to vote. Although this hurdle was a significant accomplishment for the American people, Native Americans from several states who lived on or continue to live on reservations face inaccessibility to closer facilities for registration and polling sites; mail-in ballots take longer to receive, send out, or are never received. Native American Rights Funds (NARF) is a non-profit organization that started in the 1970s. The organization, which is still in full effect, focuses on existing laws and treaties to ensure that national and state Governments live up to their legal obligations to the Indigenous people.
With the presidential election less than a month away, it is essential to prepare by checking these items off your to-do list before voting: first, you must have a valid I.D that is either tribal, federal, state, or local government-issued identification; check your registration to ensure you are registered to vote within your home state or the state you currently reside in, each state has its set rules which are crucial to research. Before polls close, plan whether you are voting early or on election day to guarantee your vote.
Depending on the state, people planning to vote early may request a mail-in ballot or locate an in-person early voting area. For people able to vote on Election Day, it is vital to map out a plan that works around your schedule, stop by the polls during lunch or after work/school, or request time off to exercise your right to vote.
It is one’s duty to research and decipher who to vote for. Today, the world is filled with technology and endless information. There are resources and tools to give people the necessary facts to make decisions that will affect themselves and the community. We continue to see our Native people’s right to vote be challenged. Still, with the help of the Native American Rights Fund and The Election Protection Hotline, if you or someone you know happens to encounter any form of violation that goes against your right to vote or risks your autonomy, there are resources to contact The Election Hotline: 1-866-OUR-VOTE or 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (en Español), The U.S. Department of Justice Voting Rights Hotline: 800-253-3931; TTY line 877-267-8971, Local and state officials, including poll workers; the county clerk, elections commissioner, elections supervisor; or the state board of elections. The Native American Rights Fund (NARF) has three offices: The main office is based in Boulder, Colorado (303) 447-8760, and The branch offices are located in Washington, DC (202) 785-4166, and Anchorage, Alaska (907) 276-0680.
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