Few Native American voters had ID issues in North Dakota

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Only a few dozen Native American voters appear to have been affected on Election Day by changes to North Dakota’s voter identification requirements that many tribal members believe were aimed at suppressing their vote.

Advocacy groups credit an intense effort to ensure a strong Native vote that included free qualifying IDs and free rides to the polls.

A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowed the state to continue requiring street addresses on voter IDs, as opposed to addresses such as post office boxes that many Native Americans rely on. Tribes issued more than 2,300 free qualifying IDs in its wake.

Groups that monitored tribal voting sites estimate the number of voters who experienced identification problems totaled only in the dozens. Many cast ballots that will be counted if they can prove eligibility.