Gov. Doug Burgum wants to make sure every North Dakotan who is eligible to vote is able to cast a ballot.
And Burgum said that includes tribal members.
That was one of Burgum's messages to tribal leaders at the recent Government to Government Partnerships and Relationships Conference held recently at Bismarck State College.
"There are organizations that profit when they can create a division," Burgum said in an interview. "They have a narrative that for some reason, people would be prevented from voting. But the opposite is what the truth is."
The state has been taken to court for its voting requirements. One of the requirements is a person has to have a street address, and not just a post office box. Burgum said the state has been working to make sure residents of the state's reservations have a street address -- not just for voting, but for 911 calls.
"It's a life-safety issue," Burgum said. "It's a voting issue."
Burgum said with the 2020 Census coming up, those addresses are important.
"That's something that will help the state and the tribes for the next ten years," Burgum said.
Burgum also said a "complete and accurate" Census count is the goal.
"If we're not under-represented in that count, it helps us get our share of dollars that come from the federal government," Burgum said. "Every community, every tribe, every local jurisdiction can be helped if we get a complete count."
Burgum said there are plenty of jobs for census-takers as well.
"The best person to help do the count is a neighbor that you know and trust," Burgum said. "There's an opportunity here to help the state, and get paid to do so."
