The Department of Justice sent a letter to Congress with a legislative proposal, which would ensure that American Indian and Alaska Natives have access to at least one polling place in their communities to cast their ballots and require a number of additional obligations to ensure parity with other polling places.
This legislative proposal, a stand-alone bill, would:
- Enable Native Americans to vote on or near tribal lands, by requiring any state or local election administrator whose territory includes part or all of an Indian reservation, an Alaska Native village, or other tribal lands to locate at least one polling place in a venue selected, and made available for the purpose of conducting elections, by the tribal government.
- Require states to make voting machines, ballots, and other voting materials and equipment available at these tribally located polling places to the same extent that they are available at other polling places in the state.
- Require states to provide compensation and other benefits to election officials and poll workers at these polling places to the same extent as at other polling places in the state.
- Require states to use the same voting procedures at these polling places as at other polling places in the state — potentially including election-day voting, early voting, the hours during which polling places are open, the operation of voting mechanisms or systems, and same-day registration.
- Allow states to meet their obligations by either creating new polling places or relocating existing ones.
- Allow tribes with larger populations or land bases to request more than one polling place.
- Make the states’ obligations contingent on the tribe filing a timely request and certifying that it has arranged for access to, and appropriate staffing for, the polling facility.
- Require the tribe to ensure that the staffers for the polling place are properly trained.
- Require the tribe to ensure that the polling place will be open and accessible to all eligible citizens who reside in the precinct, regardless of whether they are Indians or non-Indians.
“The Department of Justice is deeply committed to ensuring that every eligible individual is able to exercise his or her fundamental right to vote. That’s why, today, I am calling on Congress to help remove the significant and unnecessary barriers that for too long have confronted American Indians and Alaska Natives attempting to cast their ballots. The legislation we recommend today will make this nation stronger by extending meaningful voting opportunities to native populations, by encouraging full participation in our democratic institutions, and by bringing us closer to our most cherished ideals.” said Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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