Native American voting rights challenges and advocacy

A report by the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) has identified significant barriers to voting for Native American communities in the American Southwest, specifically in Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. The study found that voter registration applications were rejected at rates 200% higher on average in counties where tribal members make up at least 25% of the population. Additionally, ballot rejection rates in areas with high Native populations rose by 134% between 2020 and 2024. Allison Neswood, a senior staff attorney for NARF, characterized these findings as evidence of “systemic disenfranchisement” of Indigenous people.

In response to these findings, NARF launched ‘Native Vote Week’ to promote voter education and advocate for tribal sovereignty. The organization’s research noted that new voter registrations in counties with large Native populations declined by 59% between 2020 and 2024, while the use of provisional ballots more than doubled.

On a local level, the Suquamish Tribe in Washington state has begun providing guidance for the November 2026 general election, recommending the use of official ballot drop boxes to avoid mail-in complications. Nationally, advocacy efforts are continuing to push for the passage of the Native American Voting Rights Act to address issues such as unreliable broadband access and distant polling locations.