Advocates for Native voting rights and civic engagement shared data-driven strategies and real-world solutions to increase voter participation during a session at the Reservation Economic Summit (RES) on Tuesday, March 24.

The session, “Using Data to Measure Electoral Equity in Indian Country,” featured Jeanine Abrams McLean, President of Fair Count and OJ Semans, Co-Executive Director of Four Directions Native Vote and Executive Director of the Coalition of Large Tribes. Presenters emphasized the need to translate data into action to strengthen Native representation and address longstanding disparities in voter access and turnout.

“Indian Country has been a deciding factor in election races,” said Semans. “In order for us to be a power, we have to utilize our own people to become that power.”

Speakers highlighted that while Native communities play a critical role in elections, participation rates remain significantly lower than other populations. Data shared during the session showed Native voter turnout ranging between 30–45 percent, compared to 60–70 percent among white voters. In the 2024 election, nearly 90 million eligible voters nationwide did not cast a ballot, reinforcing the importance of voter engagement efforts across all communities.

Fair Count, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization, works to increase civic participation through voter education, mobilization, and redistricting advocacy. Abrams McLean explained how tools like the “vote share gap” help identify disparities between Native and non-Native voters and provide a measurable path toward equity.

“We are in a time where people need their voices heard,” Abrams McLean said. “Data allows us to understand where participation is lacking and how to respond in meaningful ways.”

Presenters also outlined the structural barriers that continue to impact Native voters, including limited access to identification, transportation challenges, and the lack of reliable postal services in many Tribal communities. These issues that complicate both in-person and mail-in voting.

Examples of progress were also shared. In Nevada, advocacy efforts by the Duck Valley Shoshone-Paiute Tribe led to the establishment of a satellite voting office in Elko County, improving access for Tribal members. Speakers noted that targeted, community-led solutions like this can make a measurable difference.

The session also highlighted ongoing initiatives such as Democracy Academy, a program designed to equip community members with data, tools, and strategies to increase voter registration and civic participation at the local level. Organizers emphasized the importance of grassroots outreach, including voter registration drives and community education efforts tied to both elections and the U.S. Census.

“Voting is a family and community responsibility,” Semans said. “At the end of the day, we have to understand that some of our people need help, to help us.”

Tribal nations and organizations were encouraged to continue investing in civic engagement infrastructure and to use data to guide outreach efforts, identify participation gaps, and build long-term capacity within their communities.

The session concluded with a call to action for increased participation at the polls as a means of protecting Tribal sovereignty, land, and treaty rights, with speakers emphasizing that voting is one of the most fundamental ways to safeguard these interests.

Roselynn Yazzie is the Public Affairs Manager for the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and a freelance writer covering a range of topics including Tribal governance, policy, and community issues. She is a member of the Indigenous Journalists Association and serves as Secretary on its Board of Directors.

At the Reservation Economic Summit, advocates highlighted data-driven strategies to bridge the 30-45% Native voter turnout gap, focusing on overcoming structural barriers like mail access. Using tools to measure equity, they emphasized leveraging data to increase voter participation and Native representation.