Stories
Can I Vote from a Tribal Nation?
Ela M. Yazzie-King
Casting a ballot from Indigenous Territory is not always easy, and a little planning can go a long way. Ela M. Yazzie-King explains how she makes sure her voice is counted from the Navajo Nation.
Voting from First Nations
In 1924, Congress passed the Indian CItizenship Act. President Calvin Coolidge signed this legislation into law, granting American citizenship to all indigenous peoples of the United States. While the passage of this federal bill extended some privileges of citizenship, it did not immediately extend voting rights to all Native Americans because election law is largely determined by individual state governments.
Can you vote if you live in a tribal nation today? Yes, by 1958 Native Americans acquired the right to vote in every state, whether living in a tribal nation or elsewhere. Voter suppression efforts persist, however, and voting from a tribal nation today can still be extraordinarily challenging.
Meet Ela M. Yazzie-King - She votes from the Navajo Nation
Ela M. Yazzie-King has lived most of her life in the Navajo (Diné) Nation. Even as the first Native American person to be appointed by a U.S. President to serve on the National Council on Disability, Mrs. Yazzie-King has endured tedious voting requirements. Most recently she had to determine the latitude and longitude of her voting residence in order to cast a ballot.
Drawing from her career, advocacy work, and personal experience, Ela M. Yazzie-King joins U.S. Vote Foundation (US Vote) to explain the obstacles to voting from a tribal nation, how to navigate these obstacles, and why it’s so very important to plan out how to vote in advance of an election.
US.VOTE
Ela, you live in Saint Michael’s Community on the Navajo Nation, located in northeastern Arizona. Could you describe your rural community in terms of size, population, and infrastructure?
Ela M. Yazzie-King
St. Michael’s is part of Apache county, located next to Window Rock, Arizona, the seat of the Navajo Nation Government. According to the 2020 Census, the population is 1,384, and the land base is 3.23 miles across from north to south, and 6.35 miles across from east to west.
Local businesses include gas stations, restaurants, coffee shops (small business), grocery stores, hotels, and cultural sites: Navajo Nation Museum, St. Michaels Historical Museum Catholic Mission, Navajo Nation Zoo & Botanical Park, and Window Rock Tribal Park.
US.VOTE
In what ways is a rural community in the Navajo Nation similar to or different from rural communities throughout the U.S.?
Ela M. Yazzie-King
Indian Nations, or reservations, are compared and similar to “third world countries,” and the Navajo Nation is no exception. Most communities are located in rural areas where lack of paved roads are predominant.
If it rains the day before voting day, this will cause challenges for all people–even more so for persons with disabilities–to get to the voting site. Roads become muddy and impassable, with no public/private transportation available. One huge difference: the majority of roads on the Navajo Nation lack street names.
US.VOTE
It follows, then, that many homes do not have a conventional street address. This situation can complicate efforts to comply with Voter ID rules. Can you elaborate on this problem?
Ela M. Yazzie-King
The Navajo Nation is the size of West Virginia and the majority of roads are not paved. Getting from a house located 26 miles down a dirt road to the paved highway can become a huge challenge.
Living in a rural area families face long commutes, and impassable roads and bridges made even more challenging by inclement weather situations. Changes have been made so to be eligible to vote a person must show physical residency. A post office box number is no longer acceptable.
US.VOTE
A voter who does not have a photo ID with a street address may need to supply another form of ID, which can present an obstacle for people living in a tribal nation. Can you explain why some voters who live in the Navajo Nation may not be able to provide utility bills as a form of ID?
Ela M. Yazzie-King
Another family member who works pays for utility bills and therefore, the utility is under their name. In other cases families who live 27-30 miles from the highway might not have electrical or water services and, therefore, no utility bill.
US.VOTE
A citizen in a tribal nation may also have trouble securing the transportation needed to acquire Voter ID, to register to vote, or to vote in person because:
-Public transportation infrastructure and routes are limited
-It’s difficult to get a ride from a family member when many people either don’t have cars or are working multiple jobs
-Reliable childcare is not always available
-Election offices have limited hours
-Secure voter drop boxes are not available
-Weather can make roads impassable
-Arizona law prevents friends and neighbors from returning others’ ballots in many cases
VoteRiders is a great resource to help voters acquire Voter ID when needed. Are there agencies or organizations on the reservation that can assist with transportation when it's time to vote?
Ela M. Yazzie-King
ASSIST To Independence (ATI) is the Independent Living program for the Navajo Nation, located in Tuba City, AZ. This program provides transportation services to persons with disabilities from Navajo, Hopi, and Southern Paiute Nations, helping this population–which includes veterans and the elderly–get to voting sites. ASSIST to Independence’s goal is to provide services to persons with disabilities in Coconino, Navajo, and Apache countries, However, due to ruralness and lack of appropriate funding and personnel, this program is only able to serve persons residing in Coconino county.
US.VOTE
It clearly takes an abundance of planning to acquire ID, get registered, and navigate how to vote in person in a tribal nation. Your tips may be helpful for many people as they use an off-year to prepare for the next election cycle. It also seems prudent to vote during Arizona’s early voting period whenever possible.
Next, let’s discuss voting by mail.
Every community in the Navajo Nation has a post office. Due to high poverty rates, however, not every community member can afford a post office box. What strategy would you recommend for someone who wants to vote by mail but does not have a post office box or street address?
Ela M. Yazzie-King
Seek assistance from the Navajo Nation Election Office, which has staff who can travel out to communities and who are bilingual. They are trained to provide voting requirements to individuals or large groups of people in the Navajo language.
US.VOTE
You have worked to advocate for young people throughout your career, and have a BA in Psychology and Sociology, as well as a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling. Have you noticed any generational differences in people’s interest in voting or effort to vote? Does this interest vary in regard to attention to tribal, state, or federal elections?
Ela M. Yazzie-King
According to Census Reporter, 2021 U.S. Census records show the Navajo Nation has a young population, with a median age of 34.2, and 18- to 64-year-olds making up 60% of the total population. The total number of veterans of all wars is 3,792. This report doesn’t mention Navajo persons with disabilities.
The majority of young voting members of the Navajo Nation tend to live off the rez after completing high school and going off to college.They tend to see tribal politics as an “elderly” issue. Therefore, they tend not to actively participate in voting.
However, there seems to be a change as younger tribal leaders are coming forth, attempting to make changes to tribal government to improve the lives of Navajo people who choose to live on the reservation.
US.VOTE
Citizens in the Navajo Nation can vote by mail or vote early in state and federal elections, but not in tribal elections. Yet tribal elections can so directly impact the voter’s life. What is the best way to get the word out about the importance of voting in these local elections?
Ela M. Yazzie-King
The best method is utilizing radio. The majority of Navajos listen to radio stations which have a focus on reservation issues and communicate in the Navajo language.
US.VOTE
You have faced your own barriers to voting in the past, including having to provide the longitude and latitude of your home. Can you explain this ordeal and how you navigated through it?
Ela M. Yazzie-King
On 10/12/2021, I received a letter from the Apache County Recorder’s Office asking for additional information to complete the voter registration form.
The form asked for basic information, name and mailing address. The form also requested my RA House Number (new), County RD Number (new), BIA Road Number (new), Plus Code (new, and “what is this?”), and Lat\Long: (new, and I could not find these numbers, even after following instructions, on Google Maps).
If I was having difficulties locating these numbers, then other individuals could be facing the same challenges, not knowing where to get information or assistance. Since October 2021 I’ve asked other Navajo individuals if they received this letter; the majority have said no. So my question is, “Who received this letter?”
US.VOTE
Fortunately, Arizona State University has created a tool to help people in this situation. The tool also locates early voting locations.
Although there are work-arounds, the barriers to voting from a tribal nation must be so discouraging to many potential voters. What inspires you to keep voting and to keep helping your community?
Ela M. Yazzie-King
It is a right that I have, therefore, I want to voice my opinions on issues that affect my life on an Indian reservation, and to select the best person I believe can handle the task and who will attempt to make positive changes.
US.VOTE
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Ela M. Yazzie-King
I want to make sure voters who are Natives, especially those who are disabled, and who reside on Indian land can still exercise their right to vote.
Voters living on reservations are encouraged to contact their local election officials or the US Vote Voter Help Desk with questions. A US Vote Voter Account is also a helpful way to securely store your voter information for each time you need to register to vote or request a mail-in/absentee ballot. You can even sign up for reminders so you don't miss any deadlines for an election.
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