The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking legislation that would require state and local election officials to work with American Indian tribes to locate at least one polling place on or near each tribe’s land. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said the changes are needed because “significant and unnecessary barriers” exist for American Indians and Alaska Natives who want to cast ballots. American Indians sometimes have to travel great distances to vote, face language barriers and, in places like Alaska, do not have the same amount of time to vote as others. The Justice Department outlined its proposal in letters Thursday to House Speaker John Boehner and Vice President Joe Biden, after a year of consultation with tribes on voting access.
“This is an important step forward to saying Native votes are just as important,” said Jacqueline Pata, executive director of the National Congress of American Indians. “In our communities, having access definitely will make the difference in making tribal membership feel like citizens of America and be able to vote.”
The legislation proposed as a stand-alone bill also would require that states provide the same equipment for tribal polling locations as other sites around the state, provide equal compensation to poll workers on reservations, and expand access to voting through early voting, extended hours or same-day registration if that’s provided elsewhere in the state. Tribes with particularly large reservations could request more than one polling site.
Full Article: US Justice Department eyes voting rights changes for American Indians, Alaska Natives – Daily Journal.