A century ago, Congress granted citizenship to Native Americans, providing them the right to vote. But a new report from House Administration Committee Democrats argues that the nation has failed to keep that promise of voting rights because casting a ballot is simply too difficult in many indigenous communities.
“Despite the passage of the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, states and localities continue to deny Native peoples the full rights of U.S. citizenship, including the most fundamental right — the right to vote,” Rep. Joseph D. Morelle, D-N.Y., the committee’s ranking member, said in a statement. “Native peoples continue to face substantial and unique barriers to equal participation in federal, state, and local elections.”
“Voting for Native Peoples: Barriers and Policy Solutions” lays out logistical and practical barriers to voting on tribal lands. Polling locations are few and far between in these rural areas, often requiring long car trips on dirt roads. Some voters living on the Navajo Nation, which covers large swaths of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, trek nearly 100 miles to cast a ballot. Given indigenous poverty rates, these trips aren’t just time consuming, but can be prohibitively expensive as well.
