Santa Fe New Mexican: Native Americans faced difficulties voting in primary

Santa Fe New Mexican: Native Americans faced difficulties voting in primary

Heather Ferguson, executive director of Common Cause New Mexico, said the problems seen in the primary are reflective of a long history of racism. “Democracy has been failing in Indigenous communities for such a long time, and this is yet another example of how they have been disenfranchised and because of how all of these other systems are not in place, it continues to cause trauma and harm to these communities,” she said.

When members of Acoma Pueblo tried to vote during the June 2 primary, some were turned away by armed National Guard troops enforcing a strict COVID-19 lockdown.

Because the pueblo closed its sole polling location in the interest of protecting public health, some members of the roughly 5,000-person tribe tried to vote in neighboring Laguna Pueblo. But they were told they couldn’t leave.

The issue is among a series of hurdles Native Americans faced on election day when trying to vote amid a pandemic that has hit Indigenous people harder than those in the rest of the state, according to political operatives who work on tribal voting issues and lawmakers whose districts include tribal communities.

The issue at Acoma and on other tribal lands was enough to spur provisions within legislation signed into law late last month by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. The law is meant to ensure safety and greater ease in voting for state residents and Native Americans who belong to one of New Mexico’s 23 federally recognized tribes.

While some say the changes in the legislation don’t go far enough, bill sponsors and others claim it aids in streamlining a safe election in November, when the pandemic likely will still be raging in the U.S. …

Between three and eight other pueblos did not have any polling locations open during the primary, said Amber Carrillo, a member of Laguna Pueblo and voting rights organizer with Common Cause New Mexico. That includes San Felipe, Zia and Jemez pueblos, she added. …

Some county clerks also offered incorrect information about which polling locations would remain open and where, Common Cause’s Carrillo said. …

Heather Ferguson, executive director of Common Cause New Mexico, said the problems seen in the primary are reflective of a long history of racism.

“Democracy has been failing in Indigenous communities for such a long time, and this is yet another example of how they have been disenfranchised and because of how all of these other systems are not in place, it continues to cause trauma and harm to these communities,” she said.