Voters living on the Fort Peck Reservation in northeastern Montana are requesting satellite election offices in their communities for voter registration and in-person absentee voting before Election Day.
These satellite offices would be invaluable for Tribal members living on the Fort Peck Reservation who could otherwise have to travel up to 90 miles round-trip to register to vote.
That’s why several enrolled members of Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes have filed a case in Montana state court to ensure these satellite offices are delivered in time in order for Tribal members to make their voices heard.
This advocacy is also supported by Four Directions, a Native-led organization dedicated to protecting the freedom to vote for Native voters.
A lack of responsiveness by Valley County, Roosevelt County, and the state of Montana unfortunately exemplifies the ways Tribal governments are too often ignored or disrespected by non-Tribal governments when it comes to voting rights.
A Montana election policy requires counties with an American Indian reservation to conduct an analysis under the Voting Rights Act to determine if a satellite office is required to protect the voting rights of Tribal members.
Under this directive, county satellite election offices must provide in-person absentee voting and late registration services equivalent to the services at the main election office of the county.
Despite requesting satellite offices in January of this year, Fort Peck voters and Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes have not been offered equal voter registration and voting opportunities compared to voters living off-reservation.
As a result, voters living on the Fort Peck Reservation are currently required to drive long distances to reach the county election offices to register to vote for the 2024 general election — illustrating the perennial difficulties for voters living in Indian Country.
Establishing satellite election offices on reservations like Fort Peck is a critical way to ensure that Tribal members can exercise their freedom to vote. It is not uncommon for Native voters living on reservations to live more than an hour by car from their nearest polling location or county services.
When polling places are located on reservations, voters don’t have to travel as far in harsh conditions to exercise their freedom to vote.
Giving Tribal members the option to vote within their community also helps combat the distrust Native voters too often feel after decades of discrimination by federal, state, and local governments as well as fellow voters.
We hope the court ensures voters on the Fort Peck Reservation have accessible satellite locations this November, so Native voters have a fair and equal opportunity to make their voice heard in this important election.