Native American voting gap: Numbers show surprising pattern in US elections
Fresh data shows major voting differences between tribal lands and other areas in 21 US states. Research points to a wider gap during presidential races compared to mid-term elections
The Brennan Center for Justice released eye-opening research about voting patterns in native communities (showing notable differences between tribal areas and surrounding regions)
Research looked at 21 states where tribal lands had more than 5000 people and at-least 20% of folks identified as American Indian or Alaska Native; the findings paint an interesting picture of voter turn-out disparities
The numbers tell a clear story — people living on tribal lands vote less often than their off-reservation neighbors. Mid-term elections show a 7% difference while presidential races have an even bigger gap: showing 15% lower participation rates from tribal areas
The decade-long study which wrapped up about 2 years ago focused on places with federally-recognized tribal territories. Its comprehensive data-set covers multiple election cycles showing consistent under-participation trends across different types of elections‚ this raises important questions about voting access in native communities
The research highlights how voting patterns change based on election type — suggesting that presidential contests face more significant turn-out challenges than mid-terms on tribal lands
