Polls Show Native Americans Voting for Trump. The Truth May Be More Complicated.

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An exit poll conducted by Edison Research It was stated that after the 2024 Presidential Election, 65 percent of American Indians voted for Donald Trump. Survey and survey distributed by various national news organizations Widely quoted on NBC News’ exit poll pageIt sparked intense debate and became fodder right wing talking heads It points out that Native American support for Trump is increasing across the country.

But the data does not paint a complete picture. American Indians represented only one percent of the total voters surveyed; That’s fewer than 300 individuals who self-identify as Native American. approximately 3.1 million registered Native American voters In the United States. According to, especially Local News OnlineNone of the exit poll locations were conducted on Tribal lands. One Early post-election poll conducted by Local News OnlineThe research, conducted between November 7 and November 13 in collaboration with Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, showed that Donald Trump received 51 percent of the Native American votes in the presidential elections, while Kamala Harris received 45 percent.

“Unfortunately, the collection of data from Indigenous people has a long history of extraction and exploitation,” said Jacqueline De León, Senior Staff Attorney at the Native American Rights Fund. Teen Vogue. “As a result, many Indigenous people are hesitant to participate in voting that is often conducted by outsiders. There are movements by Indigenous people to indigenize data by conducting research on Indigenous-controlled lands with respectful and culturally appropriate methodology. Most of the time that’s not the case.”

In response to the widespread discourse surrounding this exit poll data, the Native American Rights Fund also He released a statement on Facebook It says, in part: “Small sample sizes, lack of representation of people living on reservations, and self-identification are just a few of the problems encountered when collecting Indian Country data. An exit poll of self-identified Native voters (one percent of those polled) does not tell the full story of the 2024 election.” ”

Self-identification alone can be a fraught way of tracking indigeneity, as Indigenous identity can be inherently complex in a multicultural population where hundreds of Indigenous communities are unique and distinct from each other, each with individual social structures and cultural practices, and many among them. Individuals disconnected from tribal communities, living in diaspora, or descendants of Native American peoples. To further compound this complexity, only in the United States can Tribal registration refer to communities recognized by different states, but there are also many Indigenous communities that are not federally recognized or do not wish to be federally recognized.

Margaret Faliano, IllumiNative’s Deputy Director of Advocacy and Engagement, shared similar thoughts about the exit poll results, saying: Teen Vogue“Exit polls used by NBC were conducted at only 279 election-day polling places and 27 in-person early voting locations – zero of which were on Tribal lands – completely missing a significant portion of early and absentee voters who voted by reservations at polling places, resulting in massive consequences “Only one per cent (one per cent) of respondents identified as Indigenous, which is too small a sample size to fully represent the broad spectrum of Indigenous voters across the country.”

Faliano also noted the barriers Native voters face when voting, from limited polling places to access to transportation on Tribal lands to restrictive voter ID laws that undermine Native rights and sovereignty. “If a local voter doesn’t feel comfortable even voting, they certainly won’t feel comfortable talking to a pollster,” Faliano said.

As for where the public can find more comprehensively sourced data on issues important to Native Americans, Faliano pointed to IllumiNative and the Native Organizers Alliance. Domestic Futures ResearchIndian Country’s largest survey of Native peoples. “Latest IFS data showed 86% of respondents in key battleground states planned to participate in the last election, but also cited many barriers they faced when voting, which is likely reflected in Indigenous turnout this year.”

Indigenous Journalists Association, a professional organization representing Indigenous journalists and media organizations. published a statement On the media’s role in perpetuating what they call misinformation through incomplete or skewed data: “This incident highlights the importance of media that can accurately and responsibly report Indigenous stories. Nuanced, ethical reporting can only truly occur if Indigenous media are respected and press freedom rights are protected. “The election of Trump, who has repeatedly targeted and threatened journalists, will have many implications for journalism.”

In the joint statement shared on November 19 Teen VogueIllumiNative, along with the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), Native Organizers Alliance (NOA), and the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), addressed the issue of “misleading and incomplete data surrounding Native voter turnout and support as outlined in the election release.” Polls shared by major news organizations such as ABC, NBC, CBS, Washington Post.”

“Despite facing challenges such as limited polling locations, language, distances and restrictive voter ID laws, Indigenous communities have mobilized to exercise their constitutional right to vote,” said Caddo Judith LeBlanc, Executive Director of the Indigenous Organizers Alliance. “We are now in a better position to defend our sovereignty and sacred sites and mobilize our ground game to increase turnout in the next elections.”

Partner organizations also called for amplifying Indigenous voices beyond major election cycles, writing: “It is crucial to provide comprehensive data that accurately represents the broad range of beliefs and influences of Indigenous voters.”

First appeared on: Teen Vogue