Native American voters face systemic barriers in Southwest

A report by the Native American Rights Fund has identified significant barriers to voting for Native American communities in the American Southwest, specifically within Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Analyzing federal data from the last three general elections, the study found that voter registration applications were rejected at an average of 200% higher rates in counties where tribal members constitute at least 25% of the population.

The report highlights that disruptions within the U.S. Postal Service have disproportionately impacted Native voters. While overall mail-in voting numbers decreased between 2020 and 2024, the rejection rate for ballots in areas with high Native populations rose by 134%.

Allison Neswood, senior staff attorney for the Native American Rights Fund, described these findings as evidence of “systemic disenfranchisement” of Indigenous people in their own homelands. To address these issues, the report recommends expanding automatic and same-day registration in high-density Native areas, increasing investment in voting infrastructure, and ensuring poll workers receive comparable wages. The study specifically noted challenges in counties such as Cibola, McKinley, and San Juan in New Mexico, as well as Apache and Navajo counties in Arizona.