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ND Group Hopes Personal Stories Inspire Native American Voters

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Tuesday, July 14, 2020   

BISMARCK, N.D. -- An outreach group in North Dakota wants to ensure Native American voters get attention in this election cycle, despite the pandemic. Volunteers are being asked to sign up for virtual training so they can inspire others with their own stories about voting.

Nicole Donaghy, executive director of North Dakota Native Vote, said normally, they would be knocking on doors and providing information about voting in the 2020 election. But with COVID-19 still a major health scare, they have to go a different route.

"Obviously, safety is our first priority. So, now we're working on a digital campaign so that people can come to us, and do it from the comfort of their own home," Donaghy said.

Donaghy's group is hosting a series of virtual training sessions that focus on storytelling, effective communication and canvassing. She said Native Americans still face many barriers to voting in North Dakota, and their advocates don't want to lose any of the progress they made in 2018, when they saw high turnout for the midterm election.

Information on how to register for the training is on the North Dakota Native Vote Facebook page.

Because Native American voters have been disenfranchised in a variety of ways, Donaghy said hearing inspirational stories from their own people can make a big difference.

"In the 2018 election, there was a gentleman that voted for his first time. He was 90-years-old - his daughter brought him to vote, he wanted to vote," she said. "You know, it's also inspiring to hear when people vote for the first time, why they decided to vote."

Donaghy cited the state's Voter-ID law as one of the barriers Native Americans still face. Even though the state reached a settlement with tribal leaders to reduce the impact of the law, it's still enforced. She said the lack of drop boxes for absentee ballots on reservations is another challenge.

Support for this reporting is provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.




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