As many election officials across the country move to bolster vote by mail efforts in their states amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, some leaders in Native American communities are worried their voters could be left behind if voting by mail becomes the overwhelming norm for conducting the 2020 election
Their concerns are largely rooted in existing hurdles facing some Native Americans living in rural communities and who, as a result, would not be able to easily access the resources necessary to register and vote in a predominately all-mail election.
Over the years, the Native American Rights Fund has held a number of field hearings aimed at documenting these unique voting challenges, and Landreth says Native Americans who offered insights would generally describe their non-traditional addresses in terms of physical markers, rather than street names or city grid numbers.
“Often rural mail will be collected and postmarked somewhere else,” Landreth says. “So if you mailed [your ballot] on election day or the day before, even two days before, it's going to look like it's late through no fault of your own.” Lack of Broadband AccessAdvocates of mail voting often cite the need for increased access to online resources as a way to facilitate voter registration and subsequent mail ballot access while maintaining social distancing during current pandemic conditions. But these experts also warn that online systems cannot replace traditional polling places due to existing digital divides.
“This pandemic is highlighting a lot of things that we needed,” Haaland said in an interview with ABC News, adding, “There's a limited broadband in so many rural communities but definitely in Native communities across the country.” Rep. Haaland, whose state is among those identified as having elder tribe members who rely on in-person translations, says most Native American voters in New Mexico are used to voting in person, and adds that she is working with party leaders to ensure these voters are aware of any changes in the voting process so they can be better prepared to participate in upcoming elections.
Recommendations to boost representationExperts say that while no one-size-fits-all solution exists, engagement from Native American leaders is crucial to alleviate existing voting hurdles before they possibly worsen amid the ongoing pandemic. Additional options put forth by experts for Native American voters who are unable or reluctant to vote by mail include social distancing adjustments like curbside voting, an increased number of ballot drop boxes, paid postage for election day postmarks and the utilization of mobile voting stations, which would stay open temporarily as polling locations.
According to the National Congress of American Indians, currently about 5.2 million Americans at least partially identify as American Indian or Alaskan Native, and while not all Native Americans live on reservations, 345 tribal nations exist across 34 states.
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