“…(E)vents have fallen out in such a way as to position the Indian vote for decisive influence on Nov. 2. In fact, the Native vote has never been so crucial to the prospects of a president, nor to the majority party in the Senate.

This is due to two factors: a polarization in American politics that has led each presidential candidate to concede the electoral vote in about 30 states to his rival, as a foregone conclusion; and an anticipated tight election in which the winner, as in 2000, may be crowned by only a handful of electoral votes.

Those votes will come from 16 or 17 so-called “battleground states,” states that were decided by 6 percent of the vote or less in 2000. (Another three or four states, namely Colorado, Delaware, Louisiana and perhaps New Jersey, lean Republican or Democrat now, but could become battleground states if the other party focuses resources on putting them into play.)

Among the current battleground states, where the candidates are concentrating a majority of their time and money, Indian people hold the “swing vote” – the key few percentage points of total popular votes that could swing electoral votes whichever way they are cast – in a handful of them.” (Indian Country )