Five Steps to Tribal Government Coordination

Safe and secure elections depend on strong relationships. For communities on Tribal lands, effective election security planning requires meaningful coordination with Tribal governments.

Five Steps to Tribal Government Coordination, a resource from the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections (CSSE) and the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), provides local election officials and local law enforcement leaders with a practical framework for building respectful, collaborative partnerships with Tribal Nations. The resource recognizes that every Tribal community has its own history, culture, government, jurisdictional considerations, and experiences with non-Tribal law enforcement. Therefore, effective coordination begins with consultation, respect for Tribal sovereignty, and meaningful government-to-government communication.

The guide adapts CSSE’s proven five-step framework—Meet, Share, Agree, Plan, Practice—to Tribal government coordination. It provides actionable recommendations for establishing relationships, sharing information about jurisdictions and election operations, defining roles and rules of engagement, developing incident response and crisis communication plans, and conducting joint tabletop exercises.

For local election officials and local law enforcement agencies serving communities on or near Tribal lands, this resource offers a roadmap for strengthening election security while respecting Tribal sovereignty, cultural practices, jurisdictional authority, and community trust.