The ultimate purpose of Arizona Native Vote is to protect the right to vote for Native American voters in Arizona. The Arizona Native Vote Election Protection Project started in 2008 after Native Americans were disproportionately disenfranchised by Arizona Proposition 200, Arizona’s voter identification law.
In 2006, Agnes Laughter (Navajo Nation), a dedicated voter, went to vote at her usual polling location in Chilchinbeto Chapter House but was denied the opportunity to vote because she did not have the requisite identification despite being recognized as a clan relative of the poll worker. Because Grandma Agnes was born in a traditional Navajo Hogan, had no electricity or running water in her home, and did not drive, she lacked access to a birth certificate, utility bill, drivers license, or vehicle insurance that constituted lawful identification to receive her ballot. Grandma Agnes filed a lawsuit along with the Navajo Nation to challenge the law and worked with the Indian Legal Clinic to obtain a delayed birth certificate and state-issued identification so that she would not be denied her right to vote for lack of identification in the future.
After Agnes’ case illuminated the unique challenges that Native Americans face when voting in Arizona, in 2008 the ASU Indian Legal Clinic partnered with the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, the Arizona Indian Gaming Association, and the Native American Bar Association of Arizona to establish the Arizona Native Vote Election Protection Project. The Project seeks to be available, through the Arizona Native Vote Election Protection Hotline and our field program, to help voters like Grandma Agnes before they leave the polls and to help advocate for them on election day.
Given these unique obstacles, Arizona Native Vote seeks to identify potential challenges before election day, train and maintain a network of volunteers to respond to incidents on election day, and collect data on barriers to voting.
If you experience issues when voting, call the Arizona Native Vote Election Protection Hotline: 1-888-777-3831