Voter mobilization efforts on the Wind River Indian Reservation are targeting young, Native residents to vote in the general election on November sixth.
Voter initiatives on Wind River Indian Reservation include free rides to polling places on Election Day, hanging information leaflets on residents’ doorknobs about where and how to vote, and a celebratory feast for participants. Event Coordinator Jolene Catron says that the last time there was such an effort on the reservation, the number of voters almost doubled.
“Those kinds of numbers show that reminding people and giving them the opportunity to get to the polls really makes a huge huge difference. So, it just takes some encouragement in the community, incentives, and the opportunity for free rides to encourage people to get out to vote.”
Catron says she wants to emphasize that voting is an important civic duty. Historically, Native Americans have some of the lowest voter turnout rates in the nation, but those people that do come out to vote, tend to vote 90- 95% Democrat.
