‘More barriers than most’: Group deploys volunteers to protect Native voting rights

A nonprofit legal organization focused on Native American rights is sending legal volunteers to observe polling places in South Dakota and six other states with sizable Native American populations.

The Native American Rights Fund will send nearly 300 attorneys, law students and volunteers to polling places for the Nov. 3 election in South Dakota, Alaska, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota and Wisconsin. The volunteers will observe to ensure election rules are followed, and to document barriers Native voters encounter. Organization attorneys can also provide legal counsel.

Earlier this year, the organization released a report that analyzed federal election data from the last three elections and found that counties with large Native American populations reported larger declines in new voter registrations, higher registration rejection rates, lower voter turnout and higher mail-in ballot rejection rates than national averages. South Dakota had the most counties included in the report and the third-largest Native American population of any state studied.

Native voters who face difficulties obtaining or casting a ballot may contact the organization at 866-OUR-VOTE or [email protected], said Senior Staff Attorney Jacqueline De León in a news release.

“There are any number of steps where voters can encounter obstacles — and thanks to years of underfunded election infrastructure throughout Indian Country, Native voters are forced to confront more barriers than most,” De León said.