BREAKING: Native Americans in North Dakota will face one less barrier to the ballot box, thanks to a preliminary settlement reached between the ND Sec. of State & Native American tribes.
THREAD 👇
THREAD 👇
In 2013, North Dakota passed a law requiring voters to present an ID with a provable address in order to vote.
Under the guise of defending against voter fraud, the law disproportionately affected tribal members who often do not know their physical address or can't prove it.
Under the guise of defending against voter fraud, the law disproportionately affected tribal members who often do not know their physical address or can't prove it.
We held a field hearing on voting rights & election administration in North Dakota last year. Every single tribal representative noted the disparate impact of the law on Native Americans.
Hear from Councilmember Charles Walker from @StandingRockST 👇
Hear from Councilmember Charles Walker from @StandingRockST 👇
Earlier this week, we held a hearing on Native American voting rights and heard from Elvis, a member of the @TMBChippewa. Elvis was turned away at the polls in 2014 as a result of the then-new voter ID law.
@TMBChippewa Reservations are often rural, have limited signage, and lack home addresses. Even if a tribal member is given a physical address through the 911 system, it is often not communicated to them and can be inconsistent with other state addressing systems.
On Monday, a U.S. District Court rejected the state’s motion to dismiss the lawsuits, reinforcing the tribes' right to sue the state over the cost & effort of providing IDs to their members to ensure they could vote.
bismarcktribune.com/news/local/tri…
bismarcktribune.com/news/local/tri…
With a trial looming, the parties reached an agreement which shifts the burden of verifying & communicating addresses to voters from the tribe to the state.
This is a step toward ensuring Native Americans will be able to cast a ballot in 2020. abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/n…
This is a step toward ensuring Native Americans will be able to cast a ballot in 2020. abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/n…
We’re pleased to hear that North Dakota has recognized its responsibility to ensure its Native residents have the identification needed to vote.
The agreement is a win for Native American voting rights & we're glad they'll face one less barrier to the ballot box come November.
The agreement is a win for Native American voting rights & we're glad they'll face one less barrier to the ballot box come November.
