Native American Voter Turnout: Conceptualizing the Turnout Gap on Tribal Lands

• In Event: Democratic Deficits and Developments in Indigenous Politics

Abstract

Policies that limit electoral access for American voters have unique and disproportionate effects on voters living on Indigenous Tribal Lands. For many voters living on reservations, access to the poll can be cumbersome, as polling places and ballot drop boxes are few and far between. Until now data constraints have limited scholars’ ability to measure Native American participation at a large scale and estimate the effects of restrictive voting laws on turnout of voters living on reservations. Using spatial data from the Census Bureau and nationwide voter files from L2 Data Mapping, we aim to begin filling this gap in the literature. This study is the first of an expansive report on Native American participation in recent elections, providing empirical evidence of gaps in electoral participation among Native Americans and residents of the most populated federally recognized tribal lands. First, we conduct spatial analyses to identify voters living on US reservations, and estimate voter registration and participation in recent elections. Next, we estimate the extent to which participation on tribal lands varies by the share of voting aged residents who self identify as indigenous. Lastly, we assess the extent to which participation is impacted by differences in electoral resources across reservations in the dataset. While limitations currently exist in our ability to accurately estimate Native American participation, this study proposes a novel method of measuring turnout and contributes to a deeper understanding of electoral participation among the historically politically disenfranchised community.

Authors

• Chelsea Jones, Brennan Center for Justice

• Coryn Grange, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law