Indigenous American voters continue to face barriers to casting their ballots, a century after the Indian Citizenship Act granted them US citizenship and voting rights. In Montana, organizations like Western Native Voice are working to register Indigenous voters and ensure their access to the polls. However, challenges such as rural isolation, slow postal service, and deliberate obstacles created by legislators and county officials make voting difficult for Indigenous communities.
In a recent lawsuit, Assiniboine and Sioux citizens on the Fort Peck Reservation accused Valley and Roosevelt Counties of denying their voting rights by not establishing satellite election offices in reservation towns, leading to a perceived bias against Indigenous voters. Similar voting rights lawsuits have been successful in the past, but the 2013 Supreme Court ruling in Shelby County v. Holder weakened federal oversight of voting rights laws, leading to increased voter restrictions in Montana and other states.
Indigenous voters, who traditionally support Democratic candidates, face ongoing efforts by Republican lawmakers to restrict their access to the polls. Despite legal victories overturning certain restrictions, challenges remain in ensuring equal voting rights for Indigenous Americans. Organizations like Four Directions continue to fight for voting rights and equal access to the polls, emphasizing the importance of Native voices in US elections.
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