Description

Wisconsin Native Vote (WNV) is a nonpartisan organization working to expand voter education, engagement and registration in Wisconsin. They partner with Native nations int the state to encourage Native people to register to vote and show up to the polls on election days. This general operating grant will support their efforts in the 2024 general election and 2025 state Supreme Court Election. Part of these efforts will target the registration of and voter education for young Native American voters by hosting voter registration and engagement events at Tribal and mainstream colleges and universities in Wisconsin (including the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Lac Courte Oreilles Community College, and the College of Menominee Nation).
 
Finally core support will allow WNV to continue their work in partnership with the Native American Rights Fund to develop solutions to the Wisconsin Elections Commission MyVote system.  The MyVote System routinely leaves out tribal addresses. Consequently, these potential voters cannot use the system to register to vote online. WNV, with NARF, is exploring ways to remedy these issues with the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
 
This grant aligns with IKI program objective 2b: To invest in the efforts of Indigenous communities and leaders to articulate effectively their needs, aspirations, and ideas within policy ecosystems at the state, regional, national and global levels in ways that build support for Native knowledge systems/work.
 
This grant is also aligned with the Foundations’ broader goals to support diverse knowledge communities to enrich public discourse and deepening knowledge in support of a more democratic and just world.