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​Rock The Native Vote, a non-partisan and nonprofit organization, is hosting a series of events June 2, 2022, across Oklahoma to encourage voter registration and engagement in commemoration of the Indian Citizenship Act. The Act, passed June 2, 1924, extended dual citizenship to Native Americans allowing them to vote in both nontribal (U.S.) and tribal elections.

“The 1924 Act was a culmination of the allotment era when every Indian who got an allotment also got citizenship, whether they knew it or not,” said Dr. Blue Clark (Muscogee), author and expert in Indian Tribal law. Clark said Indians had served bravely in World War I as code talkers, soldiers and nurses and citizenship was viewed as a reward for that military service.

Voter registration sites will be set up in seven communities across Oklahoma and will feature food, entertainment and speakers. The sites represent several tribal nations and are in areas with large Native populations.

The sites include Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Okmulgee, Anadarko, Seminole, Tahlequah and Ponca City.

“It is sometimes difficult to comprehend that the Indigenous persons were among the last to be given citizenship in this country,” said the Rev. David Wilson, director of Rock the Native Vote and Assistant to the Bishop of The Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference.

“We need to be mindful of the tenacity of our ancestors who fought for our inherent rights,” he said.

Wilson says Oklahoma is second in the nation with the highest populations of voting-age Native peoples behind Alaska. Rock the Native Vote is partnering with other organizations that are promoting voter engagement including Vote Your Values, Cherokee Vote and AARP Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma elections will take place Nov. 8, 2022, with both the U.S. Senate and members of the House of Representatives up for reelection. Oklahomans will also vote on the next governor.​

Making voter registration easier for Native American communities in Oklahoma City and Tulsa is a priority for the Rock the Native Vote (RNV) initiative. In March, RNV kicked off the voter registration season with a full slate of events to engage people from all tribes.

“We have workers and volunteers at tribal wild onion dinners, advocacy and education events, pow-wows and more,” said the Rev. David Wilson, director of Rock the Native Vote and Assistant to the Bishop of The Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference. “We want to make sure our Indigenous voices are heard at the ballot box.”

The Oklahoma midterm elections will take place Nov. 8, 2022, with both the US Senate and members of the House of Representatives up for reelection.

“Oklahoma is second in the nation with the highest populations of voting-age Native peoples,” said Wilson. The No. 1 state is Alaska. According to the National Congress of American Indians, 1.2 million Native Americans are not registered to vote across the country. In the last general election, 55% of Oklahomans turned out to vote, compared to 66.4% on the national level.

“These statistics show Oklahoma voting numbers are lower than the national level and we have much work to do.” Wilson said.

Rock the Native Vote is organized in Oklahoma City and Tulsa and is funded through the National Urban Indian Family Coalition out of Seattle, Wash. The two cities are among 24 cities around the country representing more than 1 million urban voters.

In addition, RNV is partnering and working with organizations such as Cherokee Vote, United for Oklahoma, AARP Oklahoma and the United Indian Tribes of Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas.

​If persons are interested in volunteering, please contact Rev. Wilson at [email protected].

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rock the Native Vote and Latinos Unidos at OU is hosting an event for National Voter Registration Day, Tuesday, September 28, 2021. The event will take place at the Wheeler Ferris Wheel in the Wheeler District, located at 1701 S. Western Ave. in Oklahoma City from 5 to 7 p.m.

This is a nationally coordinated effort to create broad awareness of voter registration opportunities. U.S. Census data from 2020 states as many as 1 in 4 eligible Americans are not registered to vote.

“Every year, millions of Americans find themselves unable to vote because they miss a registration deadline, don’t update their registration, or aren’t sure how to register,” said the Rev. David Wilson, Director of Rock the Native Vote, a non-partisan organization that focuses on voter engagement among Native Americans. “We are very pleased to partner with Latinos Unidos at OU, which is a great group of young persons dedicated to the same cause.”

​The event includes free food, tribal dancers and more. The organizers will also be giving away free tickets to ride the Ferris wheel.
Wilson says there are 73,500 eligible Native American voters in the Oklahoma City area alone. This is the second year that Rock the Native Vote has sponsored this event.
For inquiries, please contact Ginny Underwood, Rock the Native Vote communications coordinator, at 405-229-7210.
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About Rock the Native Vote
The Rock the Native Vote is administered by the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference of The United Methodist Church. The project is funded by the National Urban Indian Family Coalition in the first ever Urban Indian Civic Engagement Project. The Project focuses on voter engagement.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rock the Native Vote is hosting a family friendly event on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020 to bring local candidates together with Native American and Latino communities in south Oklahoma City. The “Meet the Candidates” event will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. outside in the parking lot of Angie Smith Memorial United Methodist Church, located at 601 Southwest Grand Boulevard.

“We want our Native American and Latino communities to be informed voters,” said the Rev. David Wilson, Rock the Native Vote director. “We did the leg work to get folks registered the past several months and now we want voters to know issues facing our community and the positions of the candidates they will be voting for.”

Organizers say both U.S. representatives for District 5 in Oklahoma county, Stephanie Bice (R) and Kendra S. Horn (D), are scheduled to speak. The forum is open to all candidates. Spanish translators will also be on hand to share information about ballots and state questions.

“We invite folks to bring a lawn chair,” said Wilson. “We are providing free hot dogs, chips, drinks and activities for children.” 

​Wilson says there are 73,500 eligible Native American voters in the Oklahoma City area.
For inquiries, please contact Ginny Underwood, Rock the Native Vote communications coordinator, at 405-229-7210.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rock the Native Vote is holding free events this week in Oklahoma City and Tulsa as part of a last push to help Oklahomans register to vote for the General Election. All mail-in registration applications must be postmarked, or hand delivered to local county election boards by Friday, Oct. 9, 2020.

“Every year, millions of eligible voters are unable to cast a ballot because of missed registration deadlines,” said the Rev. David Wilson, director of the Rock the Native Vote project and assistant to the Bishop for the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference. “Our goal is to help members in our Native American community register to vote so their voices can be heard and represented.” Wilson says there are 73,500 eligible Native American voters in the Oklahoma City area and 106,000 in Tulsa.

In Oklahoma City, volunteers will be set up Thursday in the parking lot of the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic, located at 4913 W. Reno Ave., from noon to 4:00 p.m. On Friday, a group will be in the parking lot of Angie Smith Memorial United Methodist Church at 602 SW 35th Street until 1:00 p.m. A food truck will also be on site Friday and people will have a chance to win a free meal and t-shirts while supplies last.

The Tulsa team is combining voter registration with an Indigenous Peoples’ Day weekend kick-off event located at 533 S. Peoria Ave., from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The event includes a meal, music, powwow dancers, and guest speakers.

All voter registration applications require a signature. The Rock the Native groups will hand deliver any registrations received on Oct. 9 to the local election boards. 
In addition, organizers say booths will also be set up to help participants complete the 2020 census, which was extended to Oct. 31, 2020.

​For inquiries, please contact Ginny Underwood, Rock the Native Vote communications coordinator, at 405-229-7210.

OKLAHOMA CITY –A multi-cultural voter registration event is planned on September 22, 2020 to mark National Voter Registration Day, a nationwide effort to register voters well in advance of Election Day this November. Rock the Native Vote and Voto Latino, with support from the Oklahoma City Thunder, will host a family-friendly registration event at the Ferris Wheel located in the Wheeler District at 1701 S. Western Avenue in Oklahoma City.

“Every year, millions of eligible voters are unable to cast a ballot because of missed registration deadlines,” said the Rev. David Wilson, director of the Rock the Native Vote project and assistant to the Bishop for the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference. “Our goal is to help members in our Native American and Latino communities register to vote so their voices can be heard and represented.” Wilson says there are 73,500 eligible Native American voters in the Oklahoma City area.

The free event takes place from 4:00-7:00 p.m. and will include voter registration tables, live music, dance demonstrations from the Native and Latino cultures, food trucks, and give away items including tickets to ride the Ferris Wheel, t-shirts, and more. Local political leaders have been invited to speak about voter engagement.

Organizers say booths will also be set up to help participants complete the 2020 census, which ends on Sept. 30.

Founded in 2012, National Voter Registration Day is designed to create an annual moment when the entire nation focuses on registering Americans to exercise their most basic right – the right to vote. Nearly 3 million Americans have registered to vote on the holiday since the inaugural National Voter Registration Day in 2012. For inquiries about National Voter Registration Day, please contact Ginny Underwood, Rock the Native Vote communications coordinator, at 405-229-7210.
 

​About Rock the Native Vote
The Rock the Native Vote 2020 campaign is administered by the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference of The United Methodist Church. The project is funded by the National Urban Indian Family Coalition in the first ever Urban Indian Civic Engagement Project. The Project focuses on voter engagement and creating awareness about participating in the 2020 Census.
 
About Voto Latino
Voto Latino is a pioneering civic engagement organization that seeks to transform America through Latino's innate leadership. We are a grassroots political organization focused on educating, empowering, and engaging Latinx's voters as well as creating a more robust and inclusive democracy. Through innovative digital campaigns, culturally relevant programs, and authentic voices, we shepherd the Latinx community towards full realization of its political power.