Native Americans aren't supposed to vote.

Native Americans aren't supposed to vote. Didn't you know that? Because while technically we got our citizenship in 1924, we still have to navigate an election system that wasn't designed for us. Even 100 years later. And this time, it's not even a history lesson. Because these barriers are actively happening. Let's start with something as basic as an address. Many Native residents don't receive mail and a numbered street address. Meaning there's no number on the house and no mailbox for a mail person to deliver the mail to. Because these areas are sovereign. Which is separate from the United States. And so on the territories, many homes are identified through landmarks. But federally, post office boxes would be used. And that's where the problem starts. Because when you're doing your proof of address, and your proof of residency, guess what's usually not accepted? A post office box. Because they need a conventional street address. And even when mail can be delivered, mail service can be limited or inconsistent. Because reservations also tend to be rural. Or they share mailboxes or post office boxes. Others have to travel long distances to get their mail. So if they're trying to collect a ballot or fill something out on time, or even how the ballot delivered directly to them, voting starts to feel a little bit inaccessible. And then there's the problem with language. Section 203 of the voting rights act requires certain jurisdictions to provide election assistance in the covered languages, including several mainland Native languages, as well as Alaskan Native languages like the Tlingit. But translating ballots is not easy. And according to them, they can't just print another one. Some indigenous languages are only spoken. So this requires really trained interpreters, as well as accurate explanations for unfamiliar legal terms and political terminology. So it's like reaching a voting center, having to travel a great distance to get there, and then waiting in a long line in whatever weather conditions are out that day. In Navajo Nation, tribal communities fought to have polling locations on their own land. Because some voters were traveling from 70 to 96 miles just to cast a vote. Transportation isn't just an inconvenience when you live in a rural area. It's not exactly a reliable public transportation for that. Imagine traveling for a whole day just to cash your vote. And on top of this, statistically, Native voters are misunderstood and not even accurately represented on the ballots. Because natives have to check the other box. Because we're something else in the country that we are native to. Even though there are 575 nations with their own governments, regions, and political concerns. So the fight continues. But whenever someone says, oh, we all have the same opportunity to vote, why are you complaining about such old issues? If we don't all have the same ability to vote the same way, there's a system that's still set up today that inhibits a group of people from expressing their right to vote. That's not something you can sweep under the rug and say is in the past.