- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
Native Vote. With a 9-3 vote on Wednesday, the South Dakota House State Affairs Committee voted to pass a bill that would expand and protect Native American voting rights in the state.
The legislation, Senate Bill 119, would allow Native American voters to register to vote using their Tribal identification on the same par as a state-issued driver’s license. It would help Native Americans overcome the structural and socioeconomic barriers that have long contributed to their historically low participation in elections.
The measure is supported by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of South Dakota.
“If Native Americans can engage fully in the political system — free from the barriers that currently obstruct them — they can participate in America in a way that is fair and just,” Samantha Chapman, ACLU of South Dakota advocacy manager said in a press statement. “Passing this bill and signing it into law would remove a significant obstacle to voting for many Native Americans in South Dakota.”
Across the United States, approximately 34 percent of the known eligible Native American voting population is not registered to vote, according to the Native American Rights Fund.
“Voting is a constitutional right that is fundamental to the health of our democracy,” Chapman said. “We’re thrilled to see South Dakota lawmakers doing everything they can to encourage participation from all eligible voters – not making it harder.”
More Stories Like This
Choctaw Nation Celebrates Chief Gary Batton’s 10 Years as ChiefTornadoes Touchdown on the Mvskoke Reservation in Oklahoma
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs to Host Legislative Hearing
2024 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Events Across Indian Country
Intoxicated Man Arrested for Kicking a Bison in Yellowstone Park
Native Perspective. Native Voices. Native News.
We launched Native News Online because the mainstream media often overlooks news that is important is Native people. We believe that everyone in Indian Country deserves equal access to news and commentary pertaining to them, their relatives and their communities. That's why the story you’ve just finished was free — and we want to keep it that way, for all readers. We hope you'll consider making a donation to support our efforts so that we can continue publishing more stories that make a difference to Native people, whether they live on or off the reservation. Your donation will help us keep producing quality journalism and elevating Indigenous voices. Any contribution of any amount — big or small — gives us a better, stronger future and allows us to remain a force for change. Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous-centered journalism. Thank you.
