Systemic barriers depress Native American voter turnout on tribal lands: Study

Native American voters in the US face systematic barriers that significantly depress turnout on tribal lands, especially in presidential elections, according to a new study.

Released Tuesday, the study by the Brennan Center for Justice analyzed 21 states with federally recognized tribal lands, uncovering stark disparities in voting access compared to areas off the Native American reservations.

Between 2012 and 2022, voter participation on tribal lands was 7% lower in midterm elections and 15% lower in presidential contests, the study said.

Researchers identified numerous hurdles, including limited polling locations, inadequate access to mail-in ballots, and long distances to voting sites.

The study pointed to unique challenges in predominantly Native communities, such as nontraditional addresses that complicate mail-in voting. Many Native voters rely on post office (P.O.) boxes, but some jurisdictions refuse to send ballots to these addresses.

A lack of reliable data further complicated efforts to address the problem.

A recent exit poll by Edison Research claimed that 65% of Native American respondents voted for Donald Trump in the last election, held this Nov. 5. The poll surveyed just 229 self-identified Native Americans, none of whom were from tribal lands.

The Indigenous Journalists Association condemned the data as "highly misleading and irresponsible," while Edison Research acknowledged its limitations, noting a large sampling margin of error of ±9%.