Native Vote

2 Out of Every 5 Eligible American Indians are Not Registered to Vote

Today We Can Change That

Levi Rickert, editor-in-chief in Native Currents. Discussion »

WASHINGTON – Today is National Voter Registration Day. There are voting registration efforts throughout Indian country today.

National Voter Registration Day Take Now to Change This

“Over the last century since securing our rightful place at the ballot box, Native people have remained one of the most disenfranchised group of voters in the United States,”

Jefferson Keel, president of the National Congress of American Indians, speaking to the organization's mid-year conference in Lincoln, Nebraska this past June.

President Keel continued:

Today as a result, Two out of every five eligible American Indian and Alaska Native voters are not registered to vote. In 2008 over one million eligible Native voters were unregistered. I think that Indian country should consider this a civic emergency. We should all be concerned; American Indians and Alaska Natives, tribal, and state and federal governments. There are a number of concrete actions that we can take now to change this situation.

Given attempts to discourage and even intimidate American Indians and others not to vote, there are steps that you should take to make sure you are set to vote on in this yearâ€™s presidential election. Please review these steps:

Check your registration status
Check the documentation needed to register and to vote
Check the deadlines for registration and early/absentee voting
Check your state voter laws
Check your polling location and hours

The Native News Network has joined with Native Vote to encourage more American Indians and Alaska Natives participate in this year's election process. If you have concerns or questions, please call the Voting Rights Hotline: 1.866.OUR.VOTE.

This hotline is used to identify problems before they arise, answer voter questions, and serve as a crisis line in the event of Election Day problems.

updated 10:30 am edt; posted September 25, 2012 6:50 am edt