Many Canadians are anxiously watching the lead-up to the United States presidential election which takes place on Tuesday, November 5. But for some American citizens, getting to the polls to vote can be a challenge for certain communities.
Native Americans are one such community where regulations and distance can make it difficult to cast a ballot. Enter Allie Young, a Navajo, or Diné, based in Arizona, who is using her culture’s passion for the horse to get members of her reservation and others to polling stations.
Young is the organizer of Ride to the Polls, which she launched in 2020. This year the event will see 100 Indigenous riders travel to an Arizona polling station on horseback on election day.
“When one mounts a horse and is in rhythm with the horse, that reconnection happens,” Young, who is also the founder of the Indigenous-led civic engagement program Protect the Sacred, told The Guardian. “So when we’re connected with the horse, we’re then reconnected to Mother Earth and reminded of our cultural values and what we’re fighting for, what we’re protecting.”
One of the Protect the Sacred awareness initiatives was the recent Walk to the Polls, led by actor Mark Ruffalo and other special guests. (@protectsacred Instagram photo/Larry Price)
Adding to the need to increase turnout among Indigenous voters is the fear that should Donald Trump and the Republicans win the presidency, then Project 2025 (something the Trump camp denies any involvement with) could threaten tribal sovereignty and even allow fossil fuel drilling on tribal lands.
Young and her advocacy work is considered one of the reasons Native American voters turned red-state Arizona blue in the 2020 federal election. According to data, in 2020 nearly 90% of the 67,000 Navajo Nation eligible voters cast a ballot for Joe Biden.
Young told the Guardian that she hopes the success of the Ride to the Polls campaign in 2020 and 2022 will encourage “the greatest Native turnout ever” in the 2024 election. This year, the campaign has expanded its reach with events such as skateboarding and bull-riding competitions, heavy metal and country music concerts, and a Walk to the Polls with celebrity guests.
The Ride to the Polls campaign’s goal in 2024 is to register 1,500 new voters during their in-person initiatives and more than 5,000 voters through online efforts.
“I believe that we started a movement around the power of the Native vote,” adds Young.
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