Native Americans take a stand against unfair

voting rules
By Stateline.org, adapted by Newsela staff on 10.08.18
Word Count 704
Level 610L

Delaney After Buffalo (right) registers Leonard Holiday to vote in Oljato, Utah. Many Native Americans say they face extreme barriers when
trying to vote. Photo by: The Pew Charitable Trusts/TNS

SAN JUAN COUNTY, Utah — Tara Benally and her son Delaney After Buffalo are waiting by a
highway. They want Native Americans to sign up to vote.

Many Navajo and Utes live in San Juan County. There are more Native Americans than white
people there. However, the voting area borders were changed. This is called gerrymandering.

This is when an area is divided on purpose. This gives one political party more power in more
areas. It also tries to keep the voting power of the other party in fewer areas. This allowed white
voters to have more power. This was the case for more than 30 years.

Counties' Voting Policies Called Racist

Native Americans are fighting back, though. They are running for lawmaking positions. They are
also taking cities to court that try to limit their voting. This could change things for the November
election.

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Jacqueline De Leon is a lawyer. She works to help Native Americans in court.

De Leon says some counties try to keep Native Americans from voting. Counties only send a few
voter sign-up sheets to reservations. They put voting booths in sheriff's offices. Polling places near
Native Americans get closed down or are not allowed.

"Racism and discrimination exists to a degree that would" shock most Americans, De Leon said.

In San Juan County, Native Americans have less power. They have no voting areas. There are no
new high schools or roads. There is also no running water.

Not long ago, a judge made the voting borders fairer.

Native Americans Had Their Rights Taken

Mormon settlers arrived in 1880. That's when the Navajo and Ute started to have things taken
from them. Their land and their right to vote was taken from them. Native Americans were given
the right to vote in Utah in 1957. That year, the government forced many Native Americans from
their homes, wrote Daniel McCool. He is a professor.

In 1984, the government forced the county to change.

Mark Maryboy became the first Navajo on the county commission in 1986. This is a lawmaking
group.

Things have gotten ugly. Bruce Adams is a lawmaker. He said that "nobody really had settled here"
before the Mormons arrived. Phil Lyman also works for the government. Lyman has said Navajos
should not be able to make land decisions. This is hateful and wrong.

The Navajo Nation took the county to court. The county had to give them better services for voting.

State voting leaders will make sure the new rules are followed.

Obstacles To Native Americans Voting

Benally and her son work for the Rural Utah Project. They have signed up more than 1,400 Navajo
voters.

In 2014, voting ballots were mailed. Many Navajo accidentally threw them away. Others missed
the deadline. Many older Navajo do not know English. They needed help filling out the ballot.

Many Native Americans do not have an address. They have to use geographical coordinates. These
help show where you are on a map. Benally checks to make sure their voting areas are correct.

Nelson Yellowman has come to check his address. Workers have been fixing voters' addresses.

Yellowman is running for his fifth time on the school board.

Leonard Holiday fills out a form after learning about the new districts.

"Oh wow, that would really help us," he told After Buffalo. "Though the last time I tried voting they
ran out of ballots. The voting machine broke another time."

Maryboy says many people feel like their votes do not matter.

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Native Americans vote less than people of other races. Around 1 out of 3 Native Americans over
the age of 18 are not signed up to vote. That is 1 million people not voting.

The Native American Voting Rights Coalition talked to Native American voters in a few states.
Native Americans have a hard time voting. They may live in far-away places. They may not have a
chance to sign up. Some do not speak English. Some do not have an address. And some do not
trust the government.

The Native American population is growing. More Native Americans have been elected to be
lawmakers. Native Americans hope more will be elected. Then they can help the Native American
communities.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.