Colorado Becomes First State to Expand Automatic Voter Registration to Native American Tribes

In a groundbreaking move, Colorado has become the first state to extend automatic voter registration to Native American reservations.

This historic development comes is a result of a new registration system that aims to address the challenges faced by tribal members in exercising their voting rights. While needed and legal, the historic move is happening under a Democrat secretary of state which has some a little squeamish about her motives.

Chairman Manuel Heart (center left) and other members of Ute Mountain Ute leadership meet with Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold (center right) on Friday, December 1, 2023 to discuss details of a new first-in-the-nation automatic voter registration system for tribal members. (PHOTO: Chris Clements, @KSJD)

Tribal members have the same right to vote as other U.S. citizens but casting their ballots has often been an uphill battle.

Recognizing this issue, Colorado state lawmakers collaborated with tribal communities to pass a series of election reforms earlier this year, specifically aimed at expanding voting access for Native Americans.

One of the key reforms is the implementation of the nation's first automatic voter registration program for Native Americans. This program will cover both federally recognized Native American reservations in Colorado, namely the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.

Under this historic new program, tribal governments can submit lists of members to be registered through the office of Secretary of State Jena Griswold.

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold believes that the new registration system will make a significant difference for Colorado's tribal communities. Addressing the issue of lower registration and turnout rates on tribal lands, she has emphasized the effectiveness of automatic voter registration in increasing voter participation.

Southern Colorado Ute Archives

While over two dozen states have already implemented automatic voter registration systems, Colorado is the first state to extend its system to Native American reservations. The state's initial implementation of the system in 2020 resulted in the addition of 250,000 people to the voter rolls within the first year.

Secretary Griswold hopes to replicate this success on tribal lands and aims to have the new registration program in place by the 2024 election. Currently, tribal leadership is reviewing the plan and providing feedback to ensure its successful implementation.

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The struggle for Native Americans' voting rights has persisted even after obtaining official U.S. citizenship a century ago.

Unequal access to in-person voting, early voting, and election funding on tribal lands has been a longstanding issue. Tribal communities in Colorado, like many rural communities across the country, face obstacles such as geographic isolation, unreliable mail delivery, language barriers, and state laws that limit polling places on tribal lands.