31 Volunteers Set to Watch Native Voting Sites Across Bernalillo County Region

The Native American Rights Fund is placing 31 volunteers at 17 voting locations across New Mexico on November 3. These sites include Gallup, To’hajiilee, and the Acoma, Isleta, Laguna, and Zuni pueblos. The effort is part of a statewide deployment that sends more than 300 attorneys, law students, and volunteers to eight states. Other states in the network are Michigan, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nevada, and Montana.

Allison Neswood, the senior attorney for the Native American Rights Fund, explained that Native American voter participation has historically been low. She attributed part of this trend to a long-standing distrust of the voting system. Neswood noted that Native people were not granted U.S. citizenship until 1924. Even after gaining citizenship, many states imposed conditions that required Native voters to leave their tribal communities or stop specific cultural practices to cast a ballot.

Neswood said that while formal barriers like literacy tests and poll taxes are in the past, practical challenges remain for many voters. She described how Native communities often face the longest travel distances to reach a polling place. She also pointed out that unreliable mail service makes mail-in voting and registration difficult. In some cases, mail is not delivered to homes at all. Additionally, limited access to internet and technology prevents many people from registering online. Many homes in these communities lack standard residential addresses, which complicates both mailing and registration processes.

The volunteers will be present to help voters manage these specific challenges. They are not there to direct how people vote, but to be available if issues arise. Neswood said the presence of the volunteers serves as a message to the communities. She stated that the goal is to show that the Native vote matters and is powerful. The volunteers aim to counter the feeling that the election system was not designed with Native people in mind.

Volunteers will wear hats displaying the Native American Rights Fund logo to make them easily identifiable. Anyone at the polls who needs assistance can look for these markers. The organization also encourages observers to report instances of voter intimidation. Those who see such behavior can call 866-OUR-VOTE to log the incident. The coverage of this initiative is supported by the Thornburg Foundation.