Wisconsin Conservation Voices, a nonpartisan organization geared at turning out the Indigenous vote in the state, has worked hard to get Native communities to the polls with the Nov. 5 election just on the horizon.
The Native vote manager, Maria Haskins, told The Daily Cardinal that it has proven to be a greater challenge to get Indigenous people to the polls.
“People are just exhausted,” Haskins said of the Native electorate. While working for a different organization in 2020, she said “minorities showed up” and were excited to vote. This difference in motivation creates a need for Indigenous advocacy organizations and workers.
Canvassing is Haskin’s biggest focus during election season, where Wisconsin Conservation Voices knock on hundreds of doors in Native communities to urge Indigenous people to exercise their right to vote. Although their voter turnout increases every election cycle, she said there are still people who do not want to vote.
Some people feel like their vote doesn't matter or politics don’t affect them in the end, Haskins said. One businessman told her “it doesn't matter who the president is, I still have to wake up every day at 6 a.m,” she said. Despite these notions, Haskins emphasized the obligation of the electorate to register and vote.
Some of the major concerns for Native populations across the country, Haskins noted, are clean drinking water, clean air, Native sovereignty and notably the opioid crisis.
“It’s working on wiping out, it feels like, an entire generation,” Haskins said, adding that the consequences of the opioid epidemic impact the entire community, such as moving children from the tribal land into foster homes or close relatives dying from overdose.
Haskins said that everyone in these communities can see the effects of the opioid crisis firsthand. By increasing the representation of Indigenous concerns and voter turnout, Haskins hopes they can address the tragedies the communities face due to the opioid epidemic.
As the Native vote manager, Haskins understands the impact Native voters can have on the 2024 presidential election, referencing an October interview the organization held with Menominee elder Deborah Lyons, who said that if every Indigenous person went to the polls and voted in this election, they could “make some heads spin.”
Overall, while Haskins acknowledged lack of motivation among some voters, she said the organization has seen success in increasing voter turnout through canvassing.
“Let your voice be heard,” Haskins said, urging Indigenous communities to exercise their “given right” and to show up to the polls on Election Day.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters can find their polling place by visiting the MyVote Wisconsin website.
