Voting Information and Resources
When Native people take part in elections, our communities gain a stronger voice. Every role in civic life matters, and each one lays the groundwork for the future our children and grandchildren will inherit. With a new generation of Native voters now casting their first ballots, the power of the Native vote is only beginning to grow
Native representation in elections builds Native power.
And as young Native voters join the process, the Native vote will keep sparking change.
Voting rules vary by state
Check with your state or local election office for current deadlines, accepted identification, polling hours, and approved ways to return a mail ballot.
- Vote.gov — registration and state election information
- USAGov — polling places, voter ID, and sample ballots
- Native American Rights Fund — voting rights and access
- National Election Protection — call or text 866-687-8683
- Arizona Election Protection — voter assistance hotlines
- Native Vote
- Library of Congress — Native American voting history
- Alliance for Youth Organizing
- National Conference of State Legislatures — Voting for All Americans: Native Americans
- Guides.vote — voter guides
Sko Vote Den 2026 Mini-Grants
The National Congress of American Indians announced the Sko Vote Den 2026 Mini-Grants for Native-led civic participation initiatives. The maximum award was $15,000. The published application deadline was July 17, 2026.
State and Regional Native Vote Resources
- Oklahoma State Election Board — Voter ID and Tribal identification
- Arizona Secretary of State — Voting and Tribal identification
- New Mexico Secretary of State — Voting FAQs and Tribal identification
- California Native Vote Project — 2026 Voter Information
- California Indian Legal Services — Voter’s Guide
- North Dakota Native Vote
- North Dakota Secretary of State — Voter Resources
- Alaska Native Vote
Our Partner Archive
IllumiNative — Natives Vote project archive documents the project’s work in 2020, 2022, and 2024 and includes research on Native civic engagement.
First step: make sure you’re registered to vote. Then, unless you live in a state that automatically mails voters ballots, you must fill out an absentee ballot application. Once you receive your ballot in the mail, cast your vote by mailing it back or, in some cases, dropping it off at a vote center. Make sure to request and return your ballot before the respective deadlines in your state. You should always make sure that your address is up-to-date! Use this resource to check if you’re registered, need to update your address, and more. Oh! And if you re-register, there’s no penalty. Better safe than sorry, right?There are hundreds of local elections in each state. Click the link to learn about the upcoming deadlines for your home state.
Native Vote Toolkit
2026 General Election: Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Upcoming Key Dates
Upcoming Key Dates
2026 General Election: Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
See USAGov’s Election Day guide for polling locations, hours, and voter ID requirements. For other dates and deadlines, check with your state or local election office.
3 Steps to Make Sure Your Voice is Heard
- Register to Vote
- Decide if you will vote by mail or in person
- Request a ballot or find your local polling place
Click Here to View State-Specific Deadlines and Information
Click Here for more information from NCAI Native Vote Toolkit
Register voters and distribute voter registration cards through:
Tribal, local, or IHS health facilities: The local IHS facility, for example, is a great place to find people to register to vote. You can take time to educate the voters and recruit volunteers as they wait to be seen by the health care providers.
Tribal headquarters: All tribal headquarters should have voter registration materials made available to the public in the facility’s high-traffic areas.
Local elementary, middle, and high schools: Registering voters at local community schools will give parents and teachers convenient access to voter registration. It also gives you direct access to the newest crop of unregistered voters – high school students who are 18 and older.
Tribal agencies: Places like local housing, childcare, or economic development agencies are frequented by diverse populations every day.
Canvassing: Get-Out-the-Native-Vote (GOTNV) by canvassing door-to-door in your local neighborhoods to register people to vote.
The NCAI Policy Research Center developed a strategy to use new 2020 Census voting-age population data for AI/ANs to determine counties and voting districts that have a population in which the majority of the population is represented by AI/ANvoters, who are typically a minority of the total population in most areas of the country. These “AI/AN majority minority” counties and voting districts can help estimate AI/AN turnout and registration data that otherwise is not directly available.
This report first outlines turnout data within counties that have a majority minority population specifically for AI/ANs of voting age, followed by turnout and registration data within majority minority voting districts for AI/ANs of voting age. The AI/AN voting-age population is AI/ANs who are 18-years-and-older and who reported their race at the time of the 2020 Census as either AI/AN alone or AI/AN in combination with some other race(s).