Mark Ruffalo and Wilmer Valderrama walk with Navajo Nation community to ballot box
Allie Redhorse Young stood in the back of a truck in the Navajo Nation community of Fort Defiance and introduced actors Mark Ruffalo and Wilmer Valderrama to community members before they all ventured off on a three-mile walk to the nearest polling box to mail off their early voting ballots.
Young, the founder of Protect the Sacred, has continued her efforts to encourage Navajo voters to turn out at the polls. Since 2020, she has been engaging with the Navajo community in creative ways, turning voting into a shared experience. One such initiative is her “Ride to the Polls” campaign that she did during the 2020 and 2022 elections, where she rode her horse, Lady Knight, to the voting booth, accompanied by her father and other horseback riders. Last month, she focused on energizing young Navajo voters by organizing events like skateboarding, trail rides, and a rodeo—activities that resonate with the local community.
This past weekend, she chose to mail off her early voting ballot alongside fellow early voters, joined by Ruffalo and Valderrama. Before the walk started, Young, a registered voter in Apache County, raised her ballot and reminded the crowd that only those registered in Apache County can drop their ballots off at the designated ballot box. She encouraged other early voters, who aren’t registered in the county, to mail their ballots at the post office in Window Rock.
"It's about representing our community and showing up and showing our strength and power," said Young. "We are powerful in numbers and we've shown that at the ballot box. In this walk, we are encouraging early voting. The sooner we cast this ballot, the sooner we make our voices heard."
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/10/14/mark-ruffalo-wilmer-valderrama-walk-with-navajo-nation-to-ballot-box/75670447007/