2026 MILLE LACS BAND OF OJIBWE VOTERS GUIDE: MIDTERM ELECTIONS PUT IMPORTANT DECISIONS IN VOTERS' HANDS

October 4, 2026

What Band members need to know about the Nov. 3 election, the races on the ballot and the importance of making their voices heard.

By Vivian LaMoore, Inaajimowin Editor

From Congress to the State Capitol and local government, the Nov. 3 election will help determine who makes decisions affecting communities for years to come. Presidential elections tend to get the most attention, but every four years, voters also go to the polls halfway through a president's term for what is commonly called a midterm election.

There is no presidential race on the ballot in a midterm year, but that does not make the election any less important.

On Nov. 3, Minnesota voters will elect a governor, a U.S. senator, members of Congress, the entire Minnesota Legislature and other statewide and local officials. Voters will also decide a proposed amendment to the Minnesota Constitution.

The people elected this November will make decisions about issues that reach into nearly every part of daily life — including education, health care, roads and infrastructure, public safety, economic development, natural resources and the environment.

For Tribal Nations, elections can carry additional significance. Federal and state officials make decisions involving treaty rights, Tribal sovereignty, government-to-government relations, natural resources, federal funding and programs serving Native people.

Those decisions can have lasting effects on Indian Country.

Who is on the ballot?

Two of Minnesota's highest-profile races are for governor and U.S. Senate.

In the race for governor, DFL candidate Amy Klobuchar and Republican candidate Lisa Demuth are seeking to succeed Gov. Tim Walz. Klobuchar currently serves in the U.S. Senate, while Demuth is speaker of the Minnesota House. Minnesota voters will elect the state's first woman governor in November.

The open U.S. Senate seat has also drawn significant attention. DFL candidate Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota's current lieutenant governor and a citizen of the White Earth Nation, faces Republican candidate Michele Tafoya, a former sports broadcaster and commentator. The winner will succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Tina Smith.

In Minnesota's 8th Congressional District, which includes the Mille Lacs Reservation, Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber faces DFL candidate Trina Swanson, a former federal employee.

Minnesota voters will also elect an attorney general, secretary of state and state auditor. Every seat in the Minnesota Legislature — all 67 Senate seats and 134 House seats — is on the ballot this year.

Depending on where they live, voters may also choose county, city, township and school board officials and decide local ballot questions.

Because Band members live throughout Minnesota and across the country, individual ballots will differ. Voters should review their own sample ballot before voting and learn about the candidates seeking to represent their community.

Visit the Minnesota Secretary of State website to view "What's on my ballot" and see a sample ballot for your location:

https://www.sos.mn.gov/elections-voting/whats-on-my-ballot

Voting your values

Choosing a candidate is a personal decision.

Political parties can provide one indication of a candidate's priorities, but voters can also look beyond the letter beside a candidate's name and ask what that person has said, what they have done and how the policies they support align with the voter's own values.

For Anishinaabe voters, that can mean considering the values and responsibilities carried from one generation to the next.

How does a candidate view the responsibility to protect aki — the land — and nibi — the water? Do their positions respect Tribal sovereignty and treaty rights? How will their decisions affect children, Elders and future generations? Do they demonstrate respect for Native people and Tribal Nations? Will they listen to communities whose voices have historically been overlooked?

There may not always be one simple answer.

Voters may agree with a candidate on one issue and disagree strongly on another. That is why learning about candidates, asking questions and looking beyond campaign advertising can be an important part of preparing to vote.

Voting according to your values does not require voting for a particular political party. It means deciding which candidates best represent the principles and priorities that matter to you, your family and your community.

Midterms determine who makes the decisions

The president receives enormous attention in American politics, but the president does not make laws alone.

Congress determines federal spending and passes legislation. Governors sign or veto state legislation and oversee state agencies. State legislators write laws and determine state spending. County commissioners, school board members and other local officials make decisions that can affect communities close to home.

For Tribal Nations, relationships with each of those levels of government matter.

The federal government has treaty and trust responsibilities to Iribal Nations. State government decisions can affect natural resources, education, transportation, health care and many other areas where Tribal and state interests intersect. Local governments can also play important roles in relationships involving land, public safety, infrastructure and neighboring communities.

That is one reason participation matters beyond presidential elections.

One vote is one voice

Native people were not always allowed full participation in American elections. Congress granted U.S. citizenship to Native Americans in 1924, but barriers to voting remained in some states for decades afterward.

Today, voting is one way Native people can make their voices heard in decisions made outside Tribal government.

It does not replace Tribal sovereignty or participation in Band government. It is another way to exercise a voice in systems whose decisions can affect Tribal Nations, Native families and future generations.

Before casting a ballot, take time to learn about the candidates. Read their answers in this Voters Guide. Look at their records and positions. Ask questions. Consider the issues that matter to you.

And then consider the values that have guided Anishinaabe people for generations - responsibility to community, respect for one another, care for the land and water, and consideration for those who will come after us.

The choice belongs to each voter.

The important thing is to make that choice - and make your voice heard.