New Study Funded by First Nations Development Institute Counters Misleading Data and Narrative about Native American Voting Reported Immediately after the Election

LONGMONT, Colo. – First Nations Development Institute (First Nations) announced today that data surrounding Native American impact on the 2024 presidential election is flawed, leading to dangerous conclusions about the Native American vote. Researchers of First Nations’ latest study contend that Native American voters remained largely absent in the pre-election discussions by election experts and pundits due to nearly no credible data available for the Native American electorate. Instead, First Nations finds that Native American voters continue to be consequential across the presidential election and several other races this cycle.

Conducted in partnership with the African American Research Collaborative (AARC) and BSP Research, First Nations’ 2024 American Electorate Voter Poll provides the most accurate insights on what Native American voters are concerned about and what they want the next administration and Congress to address over the next four years.

The poll provided for a critical oversample of Native American voters nationally that paints a more complete picture of how Native Americans voted in this election. Unlike other election polls, the 2024 American Electorate Voter Poll commissioned by First Nations screened voters to tribal membership and whether their parents or grandparents identified as Native American. The poll also crosstabs on whether respondents live on or near a reservation.

Founded in 1980, First Nations has commissioned more polling research on Native American communities and issues over the past five years than any entity. This includes surveys of both Native Americans and non-Native Americans to understand how both engage with Native American justice issues as well as polling on Native American health care and election choices.

Findings of the latest study include:

Native American voters continued to be consequential across the presidential election and several other races this cycle.

Nearly 8 in 10 (78%) Native American respondents said that they considered tribal issues when they voted in the 2024 national election.

Tribal Sovereignty is the most salient tribal issue that influenced Native Americans’ voting behavior in 2024 at 59%.

Native Americans remain Democratic in their voting preferences.