Native News
Next on Native Bidaské: Native Voters Could Decide the 2026 Midterms
As the nation looks ahead to the 2026 midterm elections, Native voters could once again play a decisive role in determining who wins key races across the country.
This week on Native Bidaské, host Levi Rickert sits down with leaders from Four Directions Native Vote Indian Country, and election researchers working to expand voter participation and remove barriers to the ballot box in Tribal communities.
Joining the conversation are OJ Semans, Executive Director of Four Directions Native Vote Indian Country; Bret Healy, CEO of Four Directions Native Vote Indian Country; and Professor Melissa Rogers, political scientist and co-director of the Inequity in Policy Research Center.
The discussion comes at a pivotal moment. Marking the 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Semans reflects on the long history of Native resistance and self-determination, drawing a connection between historic battles for sovereignty and today’s fight for equal access to voting.
“After 150 years, we continue to fight for the rights and sovereignty of our Native nations and our Native people,” Semans said. “This time not with guns and arrows, but with a pen and pencil at the ballot box.”
The guests discuss a new partnership between Four Directions Native Vote Indian Country and Fair Count designed to increase voter participation ahead of the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential election. Through data-driven outreach, voter registration training, and civic engagement programs, the effort aims to identify communities where eligible voters are not participating and help close those gaps.
The episode also explores the MOVE Project, a research initiative that examines barriers to voting in counties across Indian Country and rural America. According to Rogers, early findings show that many counties with significant Tribal populations continue to face greater obstacles to voting access than other communities.
The conversation highlights ongoing challenges, including voter registration errors, long travel distances to election offices, limited access to polling places, and the continued erosion of federal voting rights protections. The guests argue that overcoming those barriers will require both community organizing and sustained investment in voter education.
They also discuss why Native participation could prove especially important in several battleground states where election margins have historically been smaller than the Native voting population.
As debates over voting rights continue nationwide, the panel makes the case that strengthening Native voter engagement is essential not only for Tribal communities but for the future of American democracy itself.
Don’t miss this timely conversation about Native political power, voting rights, and what is at stake in the elections ahead.
Watch Native Bidaské live on Native News Online and join the conversation.
Watch the full episode of Native Bidaské on Thursday, June 25th at 12 PM ET on Facebook, YouTube, NativeNewsOnline.net, and TikTok.
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