(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Sunrise Precinct Project Aims to Remove Voting Barriers for White Mountain Apache Tribal Members [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-04-29 Senator Mark Kelly with Field Organizers Lydia Dosela and Marian Quintero in Whiteriver. Whiteriver Arizona is the heart of the White Mountain Apache Nation. Whiteriver and the surrounding communities are home to 17,000 citizens of the White Mountain Apache Nation. However, there is no Arizona Motor Vehicle Department office in the area, close by. Meaning community members must travel more than an hour each way to update or apply for their license or state issued ID. These IDs are Arizona’s gold standard for voter identification. We know this lack of services acts as a barrier for voting because 80 people were turned away from the polls in November 2022 for not possessing adequate ID. Eighty (80) people made a plan to vote, traveled to the single polling location in Whiteriver, waited in line and were ultimately turned away, not because they were ineligible to vote, but because Arizona’s voter ID laws are in place to disenfranchise voters. What do we do? We get to work, the Northeast Arizona Native Democrats are proud to launch our Sunrise Precinct Project. A program dedicated to working with voters on the White Mountain Apache Nation to ensure they are ready for the 2024 election. Donate here to support our work on the ground The Sunrise Precinct Project has four field proven tactics for success. Educate voters on proper voter identification, and the importance of getting to the polls Help voters get the ID they need to vote. Engage voters who are left behind by candidate campaigns Be present for 24 months of a cycle to reach voters in remote areas of sovereign lands. The White Mountain Apache Nation is centered on the Sunrise Precinct in Navajo County and extends into the neighboring counties of Apache and Gila. Apache tribal lands cover an area larger than the state of Delaware, more than 2,500 square miles, and extends far beyond Whiteriver including the voting locations of McNary, Hon-Dah, Canyon Day, Carrizo and Cibecue. Under the leadership of Field Organizer Lydia Dosela the Sunrise Precinct Project has the potential to reach thousands of voters. As a local leader and matriarch, Lydia works with community members from all walks of life. She is uniquely located and capable of identifying voters' needs. She knows the help her community needs. And will make sure they have accurate information and the opportunity to vote in 2024. Lydia Dosela training Family Votes Matriarchs Lydia has been a part of the Northeast Arizona Native Democrats-Navajo County Democrats since early 2022. Leading a team of 10 Apache Family Votes Matriarchs, she and the matriarchs in her community registered their families to vote, taught others how to register, and got them to the polls. Educating community members on what was at stake and on the 2022 ballot was critical for the midterm election. These matriarchs, along with Hopi and Navajo matriarchs, made all the difference in voter turnout in Navajo County, Apache County, and across the state. Our teamwork increased statewide voter turnout over 2018. This was an incredibly successful campaign and we want to continue investing in it. White Mountain Apache Voters cast their ballots for Democrats 95% of the time. They were critically important in producing Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes’ statewide victory of 300 votes. Help us fund Lydia’s salary, support Family Votes Matriarchs, and get out the vote on White Mountain Apache! https://secure.actblue.com/donate/nativeorgkos or consider becoming a recurring monthly donor. Checks may also be mailed to: Navajo County Democrats PO Box 144, Lakeside, AZ 85929. Checks should be made out to Navajo County Democrats Our team relies on individual donors like you to get work done on sovereign lands. Thank you so much! Missa Foy Chair, Navajo County Democrats Program Director, Northeast Arizona Native Democrats nativevote@neaznativedemocrats.org [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/4/29/2165804/-Sunrise-Precinct-Project-Aims-to-Remove-Voting-Barriers-for-White-Mountain-Apache-Tribal-Members Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/