Pushing for Registration at Indian Health Service Facilities

On Tuesday, Jefferson Keel, president of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), said that Indian Health Service facilities should be designated voter registration sites in the same way state-based public assistance agencies are under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).

Keel noted that the facilities are ideal for voter registration because they're in many tribal communities and that "Not all Native Americans are registered." Earlier this week he told a gathering of tribal leaders that only two of every five eligible American Indians and Alaska Natives were registered in 2008, and that an estimated 1 million eligible Native voters are not registered. "This should be considered a civic emergency."

In some states, many public assistance agencies are not fully compliant with NVRA requirements, but when brought into compliance they have proved particularly effective:

• In 2010, Colorado agencies registered nearly 44,000 voters.  
• Missouri public assistance agencies are averaging 115,000 registrations per year.
• In the first 6 months of 2010, more than 100,000 Ohio residents registered through public assistance offices.

Most importantly, all of these registrations are conducted in the course of providing other routine services. This model is so effective because it utilizes an organization's location and standing in the community. This applies equally to your nonprofit: Although the NVRA may not require you to offer voter registration, you can still ensure your clients and community register and vote in 2012! Learn more about nonprofit voter registration.

Nonprofits in Action: Native Vote

In his 2012 State of Indian Nations address, the National Congress of American Indians president called for Indian Country to "work tirelessly in 2012 to see the highest Native turnout ever."

To raise participation rates, Native Vote--an ongoing campaign to inform and support Native voters--has developed a focused plan to engage their constituents, starting with the basics: training. They are hosting both an in-person training and a webinar on "Native Vote for Nonprofits".

Native Vote urges supports to be active by:  

• Attending a webinar or training to learn how to get involved.
• Interacting and sharing information on NativeVote.org, Twitter, and Facebook. Like Native Vote and help them get 20,000 likes by Election Day!
• Identifying a Native Vote Coordinator for your tribe. 
• Distributing educational materials to voters and candidates about Indian Country issues.
• Registering to vote.
• Talking to your friends and family about the importance of voting.

Native Vote has produced a variety of resources for community organizers, candidates and other officials, including a pledge card, Native Vote toolkit, and a forthcoming youth curriculum.

Whether or not you work with Native communities, your nonprofit can learn from Native Vote's tactics, creativity, and initiative. Follow their lead and help empower your community this November!

NCAI Launches Native Vote 2012

November is well known for Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and daylight savings, but it's also American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month.

In that vein, we wanted to applaud the commitment and effort of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) to promote voter engagement in Native communities. Earlier this month, NCAI officially launched the Native Vote 2012 campaign during their 68th annual convention. Native Vote has been around for a while, but it has become more prominent in recent years and has helped highlight the role of Native voters in both the national and local political process.

Although the 2012 presidential election is still a year away, the timing of this launch makes it clear that civic leaders in the American Indian community recognize the need and importance of increasing voter participation rates. We hope that this move will inspire other groups across the country to begin thinking about how they plan to register, educate, and engage voters in 2012.

Make sure your nonprofit is one of them, and help ensure your clients are represented and empowered. For ideas, join our December 1st webinar Plan Ahead: Building a Voter Engagement Timeline for 2012. And for more information on the American Indian population, check out this collection of facts from the Census Bureau.