The most recent attack on Standing Rock Reservation came in the form of blatant political efforts to close reservation voting precincts shortly before Election Day, according to OJ Seman s of Four Directions. Four Directions is a nationally renowned voting rights leader and an official partner of the Coalition of Large Tribes. They are committed to "full enfranchisement as a crucial way to navigate a stronger future for Native communities."
Semans stated, "last week the Sioux County Auditor has arbitrarily informed us that there are only 6 voting precincts on Standing Rock. However, according to the U.S. Census and Harvard University there are 7 VALID voting precincts (in) Standing Rock," calling this action a "blatant effort to the suppress the Indian vote" and noting that "the Sioux County Auditor made the determination with no legal or official memoranda rationalizing the decision."
Their Oct. 31, 2018 letter to ND Secretary of State, Al Jaeger, requests clarification on the voting precincts.
A recent Supreme Court decision upheld a North Dakota law that requires a voter ID to include a street address, although many reservations do not use street addresses, and while these addresses may be recorded in some governmental agency, residents do not know what they are, nor do they have access to them.
On the Turtle Mountain Reservation in North Dakota, Native American voters are scrambling to comply with a restrictive voter ID law in time to cast ballots for a crucial Senate election:
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