Voter Suppression in Indigenous Communities

By Brigid McCabe '21

In the past few weeks since the recent Presidential and Congressional election, there have been a notable focus on the various instances of voter suppression that continuously plague the United States political system. These stories usually highlight a mix of targeted agressions and broader systemic discrimination that result in difficulty with political involvement. Voter suppression is usually associated with communities of color and people living in poverty, and there has recently been much more discourse over how to combat this deeply problematic form of racism. However, Native and Indigenous communities have been left out of the majority of these conversations.

Native Americans have had one of the most challenging experiences when it comes to having a voice in the United States government. These tribes were the very last to receive equitable opportunity. Shockingly, even after the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were passed, Indigenous Americans were prohibited from becoming United States citizens, and legislation was still being passed with the intention of restricting their rights, especially when it came to political participation.

Indigenous Americans finally gained full citizenship and suffrage in 1924, but a century later, there are many tribes and individuals that do not vote. According to the PBS American Experience series titled “The State of Voting Rights in the U.S.” Native Americans have the lowest voting rate and lowest voting registration rate of any American racial group. There are numerous reasons for this, with one of the most obvious being a lack of convenience. The vast majority of Indigenous Americans live in quite rural areas, and most live on or near tribal homelands, which means many do not have a traditional home address. Additionally, there is frequently a lack of accessibility when it comes to voter registration sites or the technology needed to do so. Voter turnout for Native populations is largely dependent on proximity to polling stations. But since the rights of these tribes have never been prioritized, there is rarely an organized effort to increase locations or expand existing voting sites by people in power.

This election was particularly tough for Native tribes. As challenging as it is to find ways to vote in person, voting by mail is even worse. Many local leaders do not know how to help people request ballots, and even if they can manage to get them, some of these communities may lack instruction or guidance on how to fill them out and send them back. Similarly to the polling station situation, these rural reservations are often many miles away from post offices or even mailboxes. The hassle and inconvenience does not seem worth the effort. Furthermore, there is actually a deep distrust of the postal service, and of mail-in voting. There is hardly any education about how the process works, which causes confusion and frustration.

Perhaps most problematic is the fact that many Natives feel discouraged and forgotten when it comes to political engagement. With hardly any representation in politics, and very little support or aid from the federal government, many members feel as though there is nobody, on either side of the aisle, looking out for their interests. Despite being a very small part of the electorate, their votes should be valued as equally significant and valuable as anyone else’s.

While this continues to be a major problem, there are some hopeful signs of progress. Activist groups like Four Directions and Native Organizers Alliance are working hands-on with Native communities, connecting them with resources, getting them registered, and helping them find candidates to get excited about. They also do work petitioning and meeting with their local government to help bring a focus to the needs of Native communities. And if there is a silver lining to the setbacks of the mail in voting of 2020, it is that there is a renewed and invigorated effort to ensure an equitable share in our democratic system.

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