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Native Vote

One vote matters. *Your* vote matters. And together, our votes have the collective power to decide the future of the country we want to see.

FAQs ABOUT VOTER REGISTRATION

Does my vote actually matter? Yep, it definitely does! There are countless elections that have been decided by only a few votes. For example, a 2017 Virginia state election was tied, so the winner was selected by drawing names out of a bowl. Literally. There will be close races all over the country, and at least 10 states have senate or gubernatorial (governor) elections “where youth are poised to have a disproportionately high electoral impact in 2020.”

How do I vote by mail? 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.

Am I registered to vote? 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?

When are my elections? There are hundreds of local elections in each state. When you register, our friends at Rock The Vote can send you reminders about when elections are coming up in your state or city.

Click the images below for more information from our partners:

Natives Vote 2022

Every Native Vote Counts

Get Out the Vote

Rock the Vote

Helpful Resources & Information

Upcoming Key Dates

3 Steps to Make Sure Your Voice is Heard

  1. Register to Vote
  2. Decide if you will vote by mail or in person
  3. Request a ballot or find your local polling place

 

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).

CLICK HERE for more information

Native Youth Civic Engagement

Clear Filters
Northwest Representative Reflections from NCAI Mid-Year Convention
Illuminatives Celebrate the Power of the Native Vote!
NEW STATE OF MIND: YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH GUIDE
Have you Mailed in Your Ballot Yet?
NCUIH Get Out the Vote Series
UNITY News: Get out the Native Vote
Making the Native Voice Heard