- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme on Thursday overturned the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision that two Arizona voting laws discriminate against American Indians, Hispanics and African American voting in the state.
The justices split 6-3 down ideological lines. Republican-appointed justices, now in the majority, concluded that disparate impacts on minority groups would typically not be enough to render voting rules illegal under the act.
At issue were two laws: one bars the counting of provisional ballots cast in the wrong precinct; the other bars collection of absentee ballots by anyone other than a family or caregiver.
Today’s ruling raises concerns of more restrictive state voting laws that are aimed to reduce voting by American Indians and other minority groups in the United States.
In Arizona, 80 percent of the voters vote by mail. During oral arguments on this case in March, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said many Native Americans in the state don’t get mail delivery at their homes.
Given today’s decision, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez sees the need for the U.S. Dept. of Justice to review how Arizona voting laws target and single out minority voters, including Navajo voters.
“The opinion ignores the unique challenges that many tribal nations face during every election and does nothing to protect our voting rights and increase voting access,” Nez told Native News Online. “Notably, the Voting Rights Act sought to end practices that deprived equal access to the ballot for minority voters. Congress must provide guidance on how the Court’s should review Section 2 Vote Denial claims, enact the Native American Voting Rights Act, and the For the People Act to protect all voters.“
For O.J. Semans, Sr., executive director of Four Directions, a nonpartisan organization that takes a leading role in Native American voter registration and turnout effort throughout various parts of the United States, Thursday’s decision reflects the Court’s willingness to allow for racial discrimination barriers for Native Americans. Semans says Four Directions, as a Native American organization, has continually fought to remove those barriers Native voters face to participate in the electoral process.
“I am deeply saddened by the Supreme Court’s ruling today in that those intentional racial discrimination barriers we have fought so hard to remove are now being reinstated by the highest court in our land,” Semans said to Native News Online. “This decision once again ensures our people, who have the least, will need to invest more time, effort and money to participate in the backbone of our democracy, which is the right to vote.”
The decision comes one week after the U.S. Senate voted against even considering a voting rights bill, the For the People Act, that would have protected the right to vote from action by Republican lawmakers in over 25 states.
President Joe Biden said in a statement after today’s decision that “democracy is on the line.”
“Our democracy depends on an election system built on integrity and independence. The attack we are seeing today makes clearer than ever that additional laws are needed to safeguard that beating heart of our democracy. We must also shore up our election security to address the threats of election subversion from abroad and at home,” Biden said.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Seattle Seahawks Tackle Preservation Projects at Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center for Annual Day of Service
Native News Weekly (June 15, 2025): D.C. Briefs
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
