In the wake of the 2022 midterm elections, Wisconsin was in the public eye. During early 2023, a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court was open. The winner would serve a 10-year term on the seven Justice bench.
Four Directions Native Vote knew that First Americans would be instrumental in deciding this election.
In 2020, the presidential election was decided by a margin of less than 12,000 votes. Based on an analysis of 2020 U.S. census data conducted by the National Congress of American Indians, Four Directions estimated there are approximately 91,000 Native Americans of voting age living in Wisconsin. With Native American voter turnout increasing, they have the ability to influence all of Wisconsin’s statewide elections going forward.
To harness the Native vote, Four Directions took a two-pronged approach: organizing a forum with candidates and tribal members, and engaging in get-out-the-vote efforts.
Forum
When faith in the federal Supreme Court was low, Four Directions knew how to assure members of the Wisconsin tribal nations that they could trust the state’s highest court.
On March 15, 2023, in partnership with the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council and Fair Count, Four Directions hosted a forum where the two candidates could engage with tribal leaders, tribal members, and Native youth about issues that uniquely affect them. In turn, this would inspire confidence in the state’s judiciary that decisions are being made by those who understand the Native experience, not in spite of it.
Furthermore, Four Directions hoped forum attendees would share what they learned with their communities to motivate Native voters to show up to the polls en masse.
This forum followed the well-attended and highly successful 2022 midterm elections candidate forum Four Directions hosted with the Wisconsin tribal leaders, the National Congress of American Indians, and the Native American Rights Fund. Click here to read more.
Get-Out-The-Vote Efforts
Four Directions also engaged in get-out-the-vote efforts, which included Native-to-Native digital and in-person initiatives.
Four Directions’ mission is built upon the foundation of prioritizing relational organizing. Native voters understand best what it actually means to be a Native voter, and using that shared lived experience helps our GOTV initiatives achieve the high level of success that they do. The efficacy of our canvassing and text message outreach was evident in Native-majority Menominee County, WI, where the number of votes exceeded the combined total of the last two spring elections.
The diligent efforts of Fair Count, one of Four Directions’ partner organizations, were instrumental in driving up voter turnout. Fair Count, drawing on its experience in Georgia, provided Four Directions with detailed maps pinpointing Native homes, enabling more effective in-person canvassing.
Former Judge, now Justice Janet Protasiewicz was the only candidate to show up to Four Directions’ forum, and the sentiments she shared resonated loudly with Wisconsin Native voters. After a hotly contested election, Justice Protasiewicz won her seat on the court in April 2023.
The level of voter turnout in this election surpassed all expectations and stands as a testament to the power of Four Directions’ grassroots organizing. Our GOTV initiatives lit a fire within the hearts of Native voters, a fire that will burn brightly for generations to come. As change sweeps through Wisconsin, the state’s tribal citizens know their voices have been heard and their votes counted.
