MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin will be a major battleground in the 2022 midterms, and tribal voting-rights groups are working now to ensure Native American votes count in next November's elections.

From confusing voter ID requirements to difficulties registering to vote, the groups say Wisconsin's tribal residents face many barriers when casting their ballots.

Anjali Bhasin, civic engagement director for Wisconsin Conservation Voices, said election officials often apply the state's voter ID laws improperly to Native Americans.

"One example of this is, for example, tribal IDs are valid both as IDs for voting and for proof of residence," Bhasin explained. "But we know that Native voters have been turned away when they've taken those forms of ID with them."

In 2018, the most recent year such data is available, the League of Women Voters found voting sites serving tribal communities were more than twice as likely to turn voters away at registration than other sites, claiming they lacked proof of residency.

For next year's elections, Bhasin noted tribal advocates will be working with election officials to ensure Native Americans have fair access to the polls.

But barriers still remain.

Dee Sweet, Native Vote program manager for Wisconsin Conservation Voices and member of the White Earth Ojibwe Nation, said technology hurdles can also make it difficult for tribal members to register. Much of Wisconsin's voter registration process is conducted online, through the My Vote website.

"The assumption is that everyone has access to be able to register online, and they know the process, and they're able to maintain broadband connectivity," Sweet observed. "And that's just not always the case in tribal communities."

Despite those hurdles, data collected by Wisconsin Conservation Voices finds voter turnout in 2020 increased in all the state's tribal communities.

More testimony was heard yesterday about term limit reforms in North Dakota, an issue voters around the state might have to decide again.

In 2022, North Dakota voters approved imposing term limits for state lawmakers and the governor. Legislators can no longer serve more than eight years in the House and Senate.

But a handful of bills this session call for another ballot question, to raise state lawmakers' term limit to 12 years.

Sen. Justin Gerhardt, R-Mandan, sponsor of one bill, said the new framework threatens the value of experience at the State Capitol.

"Our citizen-led Legislature meets for only 80 days every two years," Gerhardt pointed out. "By the time a new legislator gets a handle on the budget process, legislative rules and the needs of their district, they're already on their way out the door."

He added his bill also addresses the issue of lawmakers who are appointed to fill a seat. Opponents said the moves undermine the will of the voters.

A separate bill proposing a new statewide vote on the prospective changes will be heard this morning. If one of the measures advances to the ballot, it likely would come up in the 2026 general election.

Those who want term limits said they foster fresh voices in policymaking.

Kevin Herrmann, a resident of Beulah, is one of the many people to testify against the new reform efforts.

"This resolution is a way for legislators to get back their legislative power over the citizens of North Dakota," Herrmann contended.

Another thorny element to this debate is, the 2022 ballot question included language prohibiting state lawmakers from trying to force the issue down the road. One of the bills in question repeals the language in trying to get the question back on the ballot. Backers of the proposals acknowledge they are likely to draw court challenges over constitutional arguments.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.


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A coalition of rural, progressive Democratic organizations is urging the new chair of the national party to invest more in rural and working-class communities in Nevada and around the country.

Anthony Flaccavento, executive director of the Rural Urban Bridge Initiative, said it's time for the party to start prioritizing these often forgotten groups, especially after the party's lackluster performance in November in which large portions of these groups rejected Democrats.

"If we don't begin to win back a significant part of these rural and working-class people, then Trump will more than likely survive these four years intact in the sense of getting his policies enacted," he said.

Flaccavento called the opposition reignited by Trump being back in the White House "promising," but adds it has to reach beyond highly educated, liberal folks. Nevada's rural voters make up a small fraction of the state's electorate, the majority being held within Clark and Washoe counties. That's where Democrats have focused their efforts and have stayed competitive. But Flaccavento pointed out that now more than ever, his party needs to regroup, restrategize and reinvest in rural, working-class America.

The new DNC chair, Ken Martin, the longtime leader of Minnesota's Democratic Party organization, recently wrapped up a multi-state tour in which he aimed to appeal to the working class. He has publicly acknowledged that the party has lost ground with working-class and rural voters. Flaccavento said time is of the essence which is why his coalition of groups is urging action now.

"How about we start with a focus on the DNC, with new leadership coming up, and try to get them on board with this and then work with the DNC to work with Democratic donors and the party in general to shift the focus and start investing in these two communities," he continued.

Flaccavento said many Democrats need to make long-term investments in "abandoned" counties where party leaders feel alone and locals feel like their requests and priorities are falling on deaf ears.

"We will not see results in one or two election cycles, but we might see results in a decade. And then in the battleground states do the same thing, but with more expectation that it'll actually yield election results in 2026 and in 2028," he concluded.

A South Dakota Senate committee considers several bills today to overhaul rules for getting citizen-led measures on the ballot.

The proposals are drawing sharp debate about the future of direct democracy. Republican lawmakers want stricter requirements for ballot questions when South Dakota residents or affiliated organizations seek things like a constitutional amendment. One bill calls for raising the approval threshold to 60% of the vote when a measure gets onto the ballot.

Stacy Roberts, board co-chair for the advocacy group Dakota Rural Action, said the attempt appears to undermine voters' intelligence.

"They're basically telling the population of South Dakota that they don't know what they're voting for, and I think that's very untrue," Roberts asserted.

Whether it is signing a petition or deciding a ballot measure on Election Day, Roberts feels voters are well-informed. She likens the bills to "sour grapes" following the success of recent initiatives, like Medicaid expansion. Bill sponsors said the ballots have been cluttered with too many citizen-led initiatives and higher standards are needed for constitutional changes.

Roberts countered the process has enough safeguards to ensure the integrity of South Dakota's Constitution. Bill sponsors argued some measures are driven by well-funded, out-of-state groups. But Roberts contended making it harder to approve them actually puts more power in the hands of wealthy influencers, not the people.

"Large funders get a more disproportionate voice and a seat at the table when you make these changes," Roberts emphasized.

She pointed to a grassroots-led ballot question last fall, when South Dakota voters overturned a controversial law dealing with carbon pipeline projects.

Historians noted South Dakota has been a trailblazer, as the first state to embrace this form of democracy. Roberts added the ballot initiative process has benefited both sides of the political aisle and those unhappy with recent results should take it up with the voters, not change the rules.

"We all can work on it and change it," Roberts underscored. "That makes for a much more engaged general population."

The measures have already cleared the House. If the Senate advances them, the two proposals would go on the 2026 ballot, with voters having the final say on updating requirements.