FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — The Navajo County Democratic Party launched its Family Votes Program, which recruits, trains and supports matriarchs as they register their families and communities to vote.
The program will include Navajo, Apache and Coconino counties and the coalition of Northeast Arizona Native Democrats. Through the program, matriarchs from rural and tribal communities will come from the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, White Mountain, Yavapai and San Carlos Apache Nations.
With matriarchs already in place on Hopi and throughout the Navajo Nation, the program hopes to capitalize on the year round organizing efforts during the 2020 elections, where local organizing was effective.
“This is a key investment that will increase voter registration and turnout across our region,” said Navajo County Democratic Party Chair Missa Foy.
Women doing the work
Jaynie Parrish, executive director for the Navajo County Democrats, said women in tribal areas have already been doing this work, just not in a formalized program. In fact, a press release from the program said it was an extension of the year round community organizing efforts and a direct response to counter legislation that already limits rural and tribal voters.
“This is part of a bigger purpose and we have such amazing women who already have this knowledge,” Parrish said. “How do we pass this knowledge on? We’re trying to get young people to learn how to do this. Thankfully, some of their daughters and sons help them. But we want to see if we can grow it more.”
The goal is to build a network where both the matriarchs and young people have built a sustainable program that will continue to grow in the years to come, Parrish said.
New voting laws can be confusing
With new laws in the works that affect voting, especially efforts to eliminate the Permanent Early Voting List, which she said is actually called the Active Voting List, Parrish said making sure communities know what the new laws are is important.
“We definitely have to make sure that all the people we’re trying to reach out to know that they [can] update their voter registration with us,” she said, adding that another new law that hits rural and tribal areas is limiting grant funding and opportunities that county offices receive.
“For example, in Navajo County, there was a group that was able to help the county in applying for a grant to purchase more ballot boxes so they place them in rural and tribal areas like ours and they prohibited that,” Parrish said.
At this point, Parrish said it is hard to anticipate which laws will go into effect, but the goal of the program is for all of communities to understand what they need to do to vote.
“We want to use a localized network to education folks on topics like: Where do they go? Where is their polling place? How do we get people to understand the law that are currently in place and how will they impact us? And, most importantly, the new redistricting lines.”
Educational program
New maps can create confusion, but Parrish said the Family Votes Program is largely an educational one. With laws that affect each county differently, getting specific information to each county about rules and regulations is important.
“In Navajo County, you can go to any polling place and vote in state elections and federal elections,” Parrish said. “In Apache County, you can’t. You have to be specifically at your polling location. That’s the tricky part. That’s why it is so important to have people in these communities that know these places and things for each county.”
There is already a core of women on the planning committee who hold a wealth of knowledge for the years they have already been doing the work and a number of those women are fluent in their own language, which also helps, Parrish said. She also said the women have been involved in direct relief work, distributing PPE and food during the pandemic.
Anyone interested in the Family Votes Program can contact the following in their communities for more information:
— Lorraine Coin, Hopi Tribe, Bacavi, lorrainejcoin@yahoo.com, (928) 369-6616;
— Roz Whitehair, Navajo Nation, Window Rock/Fort Defiance, rwhitehairsr@gmail.com, (505) 206-2746;
— Joanne Peshlakai, Navajo Nation, St. Michaels, joannepeshlakai12@yahoo.com, (928) 551-7214;
— Loretta Chino, Navajo Nation, Tuba City, lorettachino@gmail.com , (928) 679-0855;
— Marian Quintero, White Mountain Apache Tribe, Whiteriver, yayaq71@gmail.com, (928) 594-8256; and
— Jandi Craig, White Mountain Apache Tribe, Whiteriver-Pinetop-Lakeside, jandi.tawn@gmail.com, (928) 892-8430 or by calling the Navajo County Democratic Party directly at (480) 751-8329 or emailing jpnavajoco@gmail.com where they will be directed to the correct person and office.
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — The Navajo County Democratic Party launched its Family Votes Program, which recruits, trains and supports matriarchs as they register their families and communities to vote.
The program will include Navajo, Apache and Coconino counties and the coalition of Northeast Arizona Native Democrats. Through the program, matriarchs from rural and tribal communities will come from the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, White Mountain, Yavapai and San Carlos Apache Nations.
With matriarchs already in place on Hopi and throughout the Navajo Nation, the program hopes to capitalize on the year round organizing efforts during the 2020 elections, where local organizing was effective.
“This is a key investment that will increase voter registration and turnout across our region,” said Navajo County Democratic Party Chair Missa Foy.
Women doing the work
Jaynie Parrish, executive director for the Navajo County Democrats, said women in tribal areas have already been doing this work, just not in a formalized program. In fact, a press release from the program said it was an extension of the year round community organizing efforts and a direct response to counter legislation that already limits rural and tribal voters.
“This is part of a bigger purpose and we have such amazing women who already have this knowledge,” Parrish said. “How do we pass this knowledge on? We’re trying to get young people to learn how to do this. Thankfully, some of their daughters and sons help them. But we want to see if we can grow it more.”
The goal is to build a network where both the matriarchs and young people have built a sustainable program that will continue to grow in the years to come, Parrish said.
New voting laws can be confusing
With new laws in the works that affect voting, especially efforts to eliminate the Permanent Early Voting List, which she said is actually called the Active Voting List, Parrish said making sure communities know what the new laws are is important.
“We definitely have to make sure that all the people we’re trying to reach out to know that they [can] update their voter registration with us,” she said, adding that another new law that hits rural and tribal areas is limiting grant funding and opportunities that county offices receive.
“For example, in Navajo County, there was a group that was able to help the county in applying for a grant to purchase more ballot boxes so they place them in rural and tribal areas like ours and they prohibited that,” Parrish said.
At this point, Parrish said it is hard to anticipate which laws will go into effect, but the goal of the program is for all of communities to understand what they need to do to vote.
“We want to use a localized network to education folks on topics like: Where do they go? Where is their polling place? How do we get people to understand the law that are currently in place and how will they impact us? And, most importantly, the new redistricting lines.”
Educational program
New maps can create confusion, but Parrish said the Family Votes Program is largely an educational one. With laws that affect each county differently, getting specific information to each county about rules and regulations is important.
“In Navajo County, you can go to any polling place and vote in state elections and federal elections,” Parrish said. “In Apache County, you can’t. You have to be specifically at your polling location. That’s the tricky part. That’s why it is so important to have people in these communities that know these places and things for each county.”
There is already a core of women on the planning committee who hold a wealth of knowledge for the years they have already been doing the work and a number of those women are fluent in their own language, which also helps, Parrish said. She also said the women have been involved in direct relief work, distributing PPE and food during the pandemic.
Anyone interested in the Family Votes Program can contact the following in their communities for more information:
— Lorraine Coin, Hopi Tribe, Bacavi, lorrainejcoin@yahoo.com, (928) 369-6616;
— Roz Whitehair, Navajo Nation, Window Rock/Fort Defiance, rwhitehairsr@gmail.com, (505) 206-2746;
— Joanne Peshlakai, Navajo Nation, St. Michaels, joannepeshlakai12@yahoo.com, (928) 551-7214;
— Loretta Chino, Navajo Nation, Tuba City, lorettachino@gmail.com , (928) 679-0855;
— Marian Quintero, White Mountain Apache Tribe, Whiteriver, yayaq71@gmail.com, (928) 594-8256; and
— Jandi Craig, White Mountain Apache Tribe, Whiteriver-Pinetop-Lakeside, jandi.tawn@gmail.com, (928) 892-8430 or by calling the Navajo County Democratic Party directly at (480) 751-8329 or emailing jpnavajoco@gmail.com where they will be directed to the correct person and office.