Opinion | By Sterling Cosper, Legislative Affairs Manager

The Hard-fought Native American Voting Rights Act is 102 years old. Use it, “The first people on this land should not be the last to vote,” Jacqueline De León of Isleta Pueblo, a senior staff attorney at the Native American Rights Fund.

What is the point of voting when many states, including both Washington and Oregon, where the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) traditional territory lies, seem to be locked in politically?  

As the CTUIR’s Legislative Affairs manager, I can tell you, while this is a valid question, there is a lot more nuance to elections where this should not deter voting, especially recently.

I can assure you firsthand that your vote matters, particularly in state and local elections. There are ballot measures where you, as a citizen, can directly decide important issues, including how your taxes are spent.

Often overlooked, more so in recent years, the primary elections are important and stand to be fairly contested in many areas. A shift has been happening in both parties for a while, where the center and more hardline segments have had open and candid debates like no other time in modern history.  

Internally, they have been splitting even on issues that were previously considered core to their identity. There are also widening rifts regarding how to advocate for the ones they still agree on.  

Eventually, this dynamic also stands to potentially change states that aren’t expected to swing in elections. There have been some surprises and close calls in recent elections, and other states have changed a little more slowly over the past two decades. 

There is no better time than now to affect not just the issues that matter to you, but the entire political makeup of the country.

“To vote, logically, we also need to be informed, which takes effort as well as mental and emotional fortitude, especially given the current social and political climate.“

This is all while the portion of the Voting Rights Act that prohibits racially discriminatory voting laws and maps is being challenged in the U.S. Supreme Court.

The people you vote for affect how the voting maps are drawn and who serves as judges, all of which affect your very right to vote and be represented as a citizen.

The simple way to put it is, if you don’t use it, you potentially stand to lose it. This is likely followed by many more rights you may take for granted.

Whether you want things to change or not, or are somewhere in between, this is an era where your vote has more impact and is more important than it is has been in the past few decades.   

To vote, logically, we also need to be informed, which takes effort as well as mental and emotional fortitude, especially given the current social and political climate.

Take it from me, who does this for a living, the middle way is the best and most sustainable. Live your life and don’t overdo it, but certainly don’t bury your head in the sand. Also, try and set aside time that works best for you to stay current on the issues.  

As author George Orwell said, “In our age, there is no such thing as ‘keeping out of politics.’ All issues are political issues…If one is successful in avoiding politics, at some point, the effects of the political decisions they abstained from participating in will reach their front door.”

While I am working on helping to advocate for the CTUIR’s issues, I need your help to have advocates in the halls of power. 

In return, I am working with the rest of the CTUIR Department of Communications, our lobbyists and other CTUIR departments to close the loop on internal communication to share more and better-quality information with you as members to help inform and empower your voice.

Your vote counts: Election deadlines