Article Image

IPFS News Link • Native American

Native Americans move to frontlines in battle over voting rights

• Reuters

Elvis Norquay, a member of the Chippewa Indian tribe, has lived most of his 58 years on North Dakota's remote Turtle Mountain reservation and says he's never had a problem voting.

That was before 2014, when he hitched a ride with a friend to cast a ballot in local and congressional elections and was turned away. Embarrassed, he asked why he couldn't vote. He was told he lacked proper ID under new state requirements. He has no phone, no current driver's license and his tribal ID lacks a street address.

"When we left, my friend said, 'that's not right'," said Norquay, who has lived on disability since 2002 in a rural county near the Canadian border.