By LISA SNELL, The CUJ
MISSION – Tribal, state and national officials are urging citizens to register to vote, and for the currently registered, to verify their voter information.
“Today, I am thinking of a quote from Benjamin Franklin. When he was asked if the Founding Fathers had given America a monarchy or a republic, he responded, ‘A republic, if you can keep it,’” said President Joe Biden in a Sept. 16 White House proclamation. “On National Voter Registration Day, we are reminded that our republic is in our hands and it is incumbent upon us to maintain it. It is in that spirit that we encourage every eligible American to ensure they are registered to vote.”
For Corinne Sams, Board of Trustees Member-at-Large for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), the right to vote is paramount.
“Our vote is our voice,” said Sams. “A voice we did not have until a hundred years ago.”
On June 2, 1924, Congress passed the Indian Citizenship Act, which granted citizenship to all Native Americans born in the United States.
“The Citizenship Act of 1924 changed the political and social landscape for Native communities. We were finally able to fully participate in government-to-government communication with the federal government and states,” Sams said.
However, Congress deferred to state governments on who was eligible to vote and many states continued to bar Native Americans from voting. Arizona and New Mexico held up the vote until 1948, and it took nearly a decade longer before Utah legalized the Native vote in 1957 – 33 years after the passing of the Indian Citizenship Act.
“Many of our relatives fought for this country in the first World War but still did not have the right to vote,” said Sams. “This right to vote allows us to determine who best aligns with our priorities as well as our protected treaty reserved rights.”
The CTUIR will host a voter registration drive from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10 at Hamley’s Slickfork Saloon, 8 S.E. Court Ave., Pendleton, to assist community members get registered or check their status.
“I believe every election is important, however this 2024 presidential election is the most critical election of our lifetime in my opinion. We are facing so many unprecedented challenges in on our homelands and our nation. We must ensure our tribal members have an opportunity to register and cast their vote this November,” Sams said.
Eligible Oregonians can register or update their voter information at OregonVotes.gov/register.
The deadline to register to vote to receive a ballot for the General Election is Oct.15. Ballots will start going out Oct. 16.
Oregonians can register online at OregonVotes.gov/register. Oregonians may also choose to register by completing a voter registration form and returning it to a county elections office. To register to vote in Oregon, you must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of Oregon, and at least 16 years old, with ballots being issued once you turn 18 years old.
Already registered? You can use the My Vote tool to view your voter registration information and make any necessary updates, including if you recently moved or changed your name.
For more information, visit OregonVotes.gov or visit https://www.usa.gov/how-to-vote.
National Voter Registration Day is a nonpartisan civic holiday started in 2012 that is dedicated to celebrating our democracy.
What you need to know about the 2024 General Election
- The deadline to register to vote or update your voter registration is Oct. 15.
- Ballots will be sent out starting Oct. 16.
- Election Day is Nov. 5. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. or postmarked on this day to be counted.
- Return your ballot in the mail, at a county clerk’s office, or at any of the secure, official drop boxes available throughout the state. Your ballot will be routed to the county in which you are registered to vote for processing.
- The postmark law, passed in 2021, allows ballots postmarked on or before Election Day to count as long as they’re received no later than seven days after the election. For this reason, election results may be delayed because it will take a few days for all the votes to be counted.
- Preliminary results will be available on the Secretary of State website starting at 8 p.m. on Election Day.
