A six-day horseback journey through the Navajo Nation to register voters

A Diné woman will begin a six-day horseback ride through the Navajo Nation on Sunday, hoping to register Native voters before November's election.

Why it matters: Indigenous citizens who live on rural reservations face extra barriers to register because of spotty broadband access and citizenship documentation requirements , rider and activist Allie Redhorse Young told Axios.

The big picture: Strong Native American turnout is credited as one of the factors that led to President Biden's 2020 win in Arizona.

Driving the news: Young and her father will chart a nearly 50-mile ride Sunday through Friday with stops in Kayenta, Rough Rock, Many Farms, Chinle, Burnside and St. Michaels.

• Young said she hopes to have 20 riders join her on each leg, and to register a few hundred people throughout the journey.

What they're saying: "When we turn out to vote we can make the difference in a lot of these battleground states," Young told us. "It's one way that we rebuild our power."

Context: Native Americans gained U.S. citizenship 100 years ago, but only gained the right to vote in Arizona in 1948.

State of play: She told us she decided to host the first horseback registration ride this year to make sure people are prepared to vote, so they aren't turned away in November.

• "Half of the beast is registration," Young said.

What's next: The other half is making sure people get to the polls, which is why she will also host a "Ride to the Polls" event once voting starts to lead Navajo voters to their closest voting locations.

• She hosted similar rides in 2020 and 2022.
• Young said some of the most remote parts of the Navajo Nation are a half hour or more away from a polling place or ballot drop box.