Indigenous leaders say GOP's new voter ID law will silence the voices of Native people

Indigenous leaders in Arizona expressed concern as Gov. Doug Ducey signed into law a measure that will require proof of citizenship and proof of address for people registering to vote.

In a letter explaining why he signed House Bill 2492, Ducey said the law addresses new voters who have not provided proof of citizenship, which he claimed was a growing issue.

Clara Pratt, chairwoman of the Native American Caucus at the Democratic National Convention, said the law addresses a problem that is more of a perception, rather than an actual issue.

“There is zero proof that there are tranches of non-eligible voters voting in elections,” Pratt said. “The bill is a voter-disenfranchisement bill that only seeks to make it harder for people to vote. The bill will have the impact on tribal voters specifically by essentially putting into question their votes after the fact.”

Pratt, who is Navajo and was Joe Biden’s campaign tribal engagement director, said Arizona already has strict voter ID laws, with no evidence of fraudulent voting. She said the only impact will be for potentially thousands of legitimate voters, many of them Indigenous, people of color and elders, whose votes will go uncounted.

“Rejection rates of valid ballots would likely be 30%, as seen in other states that have implemented these rules,“ Pratt said. “The goal is clear, and it is to limit the voices of the people.”

'A solution in search of a problem'

The Native American Rights Fund examined barriers for Indigenous voters and, in 2020, published a comprehensive field hearing report. The report cited a lack of traditional mailing address and voter identification requirements as a couple of the barriers. 

Native voters are often barred from registering to vote when election officials insist that they provide a physical address for their residence. The lack of standardized postal service addresses on tribal lands causes many Native voters to be placed in the wrong voting precinct when they register to vote. That results in rejected ballots, according to the report.

Voter ID laws can lead to disenfranchisement of Indigenous voters, the NARF report said, concluding that it wasn’t surprising that Indigenous voters are usually not in favor of voter identification laws. These laws are seen as “a solution in search of a problem …imposed without a shred of real evidence that there has been voter fraud.”

Ginger Sykes Torres, Navajo and a candidate for Congress in District 1, is running with a platform to help Arizona small businesses. She said HB 2492 will put up more barriers for Native voters. 

“We already have sufficient proof of identity processes when it comes to voting in Arizona,” Torres said. “Unfortunately, this bill is nothing more than red meat to voters who have been convinced that there is something nefarious going on with our elections.”

While many are concerned with voter disenfranchisement among Indigenous voters in Arizona, one 501(c)3 organization known as Morning Star Leaders is working toward informing and educating voting-aged Indigenous youth on the power of voting. 

Debbie Nez-Manuel is the cofounder of Morning Star Leaders and said a few years ago the group found there were several organizations that indicated they would serve the Indigenous population through grants when it came to voter education. But when she looked into it, voter education was limited to grant proposal periods only, and nothing beyond that. 

“I found it challenging to understand organizations saying they are doing voter education when in fact we had very few efforts in comparison to other people of color,” said Nez-Manuel, who was also elected as Western regional vice chair for the Democratic National Committee.

Young people work to educate others

With the absence of voter education for Indigenous voters, Nez-Manuel was able to get grants and work with youth to drive the initiative of forming a voter education group known as the Voice of Indigenous Voters. The group now has a curriculum it uses for its training.

“We create relevancy,” Nez-Manuel said. “We don't tell people they have to be registered to vote. We help them with what their 'why' is. We help them understand, and drive that point, and help them understand the importance of voter registration. It really helps people understand where they fit in this big picture of voting.”

The group educates young voters by explaining what a ballot is, what terminology means, the differences in political offices and the impact of all of these on the voter’s community and people. The voting education program is for Indigenous young adults ages 18-24. 

“All these tools and resources are free, and come at zero cost or subscription that youth and adults are able to use to stay informed and become more involved,” said Matthew Yatsayte, who is a trainer with Morning Star. “This is the time to be teaching youth to make sure that our voices are still heard. To make sure we create that next generation of leaders, thinkers and change-makers that know how to find leaders that best represent us as Indigenous people.”

Yatsayte, a citizen of the Pueblo of Zuni and also Navajo, said his sentiments are similar to those who believe it's another hindrance placed upon Indigenous voters. 

“It really creates challenges for citizens who have been long-time voters,” said Nez-Manuel on HB 2492. “It creates roadblocks for tribal members. There’s such a delicate piece to that bill that really creates barriers for tribal people."

Anyone interested in attending a Voice of Indigenous Voters training can find information at morningstarleaders.org/voters.

Arlyssa D. Becenti covers Indigenous affairs for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send ideas and tips to arlyssa.becenti@arizonarepublic.com. Follow on Twitter @abecenti

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