Native Voting Rights Act of 2014

Bill: 113-s-2399
Sponsor: Sen. Begich, Mark [D-AK]
Introduced: 2014-05-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Subjects: Alaska Natives and Hawaiians
Civil actions and liability
Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
Federal-Indian relations
Foreign language and bilingual programs
Government information and archives
Government liability
Indian lands and resources rights
State and local government operations
Voting rights

Summary:
action_date: 2014-05-22
text: 
Native Voting Rights Act of 2014 - Amends the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to make an individual's unexpired tribal identification document issued by an Indian tribe or Native Corporation a valid form of identification in states and political subdivisions that require an individual to present a valid form of identification to vote or register to vote.
 
Authorizes the Attorney General (DOJ) to bring actions against such jurisdictions for declaratory judgement or injunctive relief if the Attorney General finds a disparity between in-person voting opportunities for Indians and in-person voting opportunities for non-Indians.
 
Prohibits states and political subdivisions, without obtaining court approval or the nonobjection of the Attorney General, from:
 
 
eliminating an Indian reservation's sole polling place or voter registration site;
 
moving or consolidating a polling place or voter registration site one mile or more from the existing polling place or registration site on an Indian reservation;
 
moving or consolidating a polling place or voter registration site on an Indian reservation across a natural boundary such that travel becomes difficult for a voter, regardless of distance;
 
eliminating in-person voting on an Indian reservation by designating the reservation a permanent absentee voting location, unless the entire state is or becomes such a location;
 
removing an early voting location or otherwise diminishing early voting opportunities on an Indian reservation; and
 
decreasing the number of days or hours that an in-person or early voting location is open on an Indian reservation or changing the dates of in-person or early voting on such reservation.
 
 
Authorizes the Attorney General to assign federal observers to elections on an Indian reservation if the applicable tribe: (1) requests such observers, and (2) provides the Attorney General with a written complaint that efforts to deny or abridge the right to vote may occur on such reservation. Terminates the assignment of such observers after the end of the next presidential election.
 
Provides that if the applicable language of a minority group is not oral or unwritten when voting materials or information become available, states and political subdivisions must provide that material or information in the language of the minority group and in English.
 
Requires federal election observer's reports to be made available to the public within six months after they are submitted to the Attorney General.
 
Directs the Attorney General, to the extent practicable, to consult annually with tribal organization regarding Indian voting issues.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-05-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2014-05-22
text: Introduced in Senate