Overview:
The American Indian College Fund is providing nine tribal colleges and universities with voter education and engagement micro-grants through its Reclaim Native Democracy campaign to promote voter registration, civic participation and access to the polls ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Native Vote 2026
The American Indian College Fund is providing nine tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) with voter education and engagement micro-grants as part of its Reclaim Native Democracy campaign, aimed at promoting voter registration and participation in the upcoming midterm elections.
The micro-grants will support student- and community-led activities focused on voter registration, understanding what will appear on the ballot, transportation assistance and ridesharing coordination to polling locations, and civic engagement lunch-and-learns on TCU campuses.
Each participating TCU also received Reclaim Native Democracy-branded T-shirts, buttons and stickers to help raise awareness about the campaign and encourage voter participation.
Reclaim Native Democracy is a multi-year campaign focused on civic education and engagement across TCU communities. The campaign seeks to encourage tribal community outreach and dialogue about the importance of voting and its potential impact on Native communities.
As part of the campaign, the College Fund is also inviting current TCU students and Full Circle scholars to share their thoughts on voting, democracy and the future of Native communities.
The theme of the initiative is: “Our ancestors carried the wisdom. We carry the responsibility. Future generations carry the promise.”
Students may submit multiple entries. Their first accepted submission will automatically qualify them for a $25 gift card, while all students whose submissions are accepted will be entered into a drawing for a $500 cash prize.
The nine participating TCUs are:
- Chief Dull Knife College — Lame Deer, Montana
- College of Menominee Nation — Keshena, Wisconsin
- Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University — Hayward, Wisconsin
- Leech Lake Tribal College — Cass Lake, Minnesota
- Little Big Horn College — Crow Agency, Montana
- Nebraska Indian Community College — Macy, Nebraska
- Salish Kootenai College — Pablo, Montana
- Stone Child College — Box Elder, Montana
- Tohono O’odham Community College — Sells, Arizona
The College Fund encourages tribal college students, tribal community members and allies to participate in elections and exercise their right to vote.
The organization provides voter registration information and resources through its state-by-state voter registration guide at collegefund.org/vote/register/.
More information about the Reclaim Native Democracy campaign, including submission rules and the student entry portal, is available at collegefund.org/vote.
