Nonprofit launches midterm election watch effort
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As North Dakota voters prepare for the Nov. 3 midterm election, Native allies are deploying observers to polling sites in an effort to overcome potential barriers at the ballot box.
It is the first time the Native American Rights Fund is spearheading election protection efforts for a midterm, having previously focused on presidential general elections.
Samantha Blencke, senior staff attorney for the fund, said attorneys, law students and faculty volunteers will try to address issues like voter intimidation and misinformation about documentation requirements on the spot to help prevent eligible voters from being turned away.
“A right on paper means very little if you can’t exercise it at your polling place. So our immediate priority is to help people vote but we also will be documenting what happens, and that helps us prevent the same barriers from recurring,” Blencke explained.
The efforts come as President Donald Trump and other Republicans push for stricter federal voting requirements, which they said would strengthen election security. North Dakota is one of nine states where the fund is deploying volunteers, based on where they have heard concerns in the past.
Early in-person voting is already underway in some North Dakota counties for next week’s election.
North Dakota has a long history of barriers for Native American voting, including restrictions leading to federal lawsuits and changes to state voting procedures. The changes have not eliminated all barriers. The fund said Native voters in North Dakota were still turned away over tribal ID issues in 2024, while address requirements and long distances to polling places continue to create challenges.
Blencke explained address and identification requirements can burden voters whose homes lack conventional street addresses, or whose IDs contain outdated information.
“This is hugely important. It’s always important in Indian country. For example, if someone’s told, ‘Hey, just go back home and get the right document and come back,’ that could be a three-hour drive. So it’s really important to have assistance on the spot,” Blencke said.
Blencke noted observers will seek to ensure tribal IDs and supplemental documents are recognized. North Dakota does not require voter registration but voters need an accepted ID showing their current residential address and date of birth, and supplemental documents may help if information is outdated.
Voters who encounter problems can call 866-OUR-VOTE. Blencke added they can identify themselves as a Native voter to be connected with the fund for assistance.