With growing concerns over voter suppression and voting rights violations, the Native American Voting Rights Coalition will be holding several field hearings in upcoming months across Indian Country. The goal of the hearings is to identify and document the obstacles indigenous voters continue to face. The first hearing was held Sept. 5, in Bismark, North Dakota.

The goal of the hearings is to hear about Native American voters’ experiences in voter registration and voting in federal, state, and local (non-tribal) elections. Issues to be addressed include whether Native voters have opportunities in their communities that are equal to those of non-Natives or if they experience discrimination in:

• Location of voter registration and voting
• Voter identification requirements
• Vote-by-mail and early voting
• Poll worker opportunities
• Redistricting
• Treatment at the polls
• Language barriers
• Other discrimination

Witnesses will include tribal leaders, advocates, and voters. Those who would like to testify or want more information can register to attend or submit testimony by emailing vote@narf.org
The Native American Voting Rights Coalition is an alliance of national and grassroots organizations, scholars, and activists advocating for equal access for Native Americans to the political process. It is holding ¬ field hearings throughout Indian Country to document barriers to registration and voting in non-tribal elections. Information from the hearings will help promote public education, identify policy solutions, and advance other legal remedies to expand Native access to voting.

To learn more about Native voting rights and NARF’s work to ensure those rights, please visit narf.org/cases/native-american-voting-rights-coalition/.