Actor and activist Mark Ruffalo joined the Navajo Nation’s *Walk to the Polls* on October 12, 2024, as part of a campaign to increase voter turnout among Native American youth ahead of the presidential election. Ruffalo partnered with Protect the Sacred, a youth engagement initiative led by Diné activist Allie Redhorse Young, to encourage young Indigenous voters to cast their ballots early.
The event saw Ruffalo and Diné community members walk three miles to a ballot drop box, commemorating both 100 years of Native American citizenship and the Navajo Long Walk, a tragic episode in the 1860s known as the Diné's Trail of Tears. The goal of the walk was to address the barriers that Native Americans face in voting, including long distances to polling places, and to empower Native youth to make their voices heard.
“This system hasn’t been fair to Native Americans, but voting is how we gain power and representation,” Ruffalo said, noting recent progress such as Deb Haaland’s appointment as Secretary of the Interior.
The *Walk to the Polls* is part of the larger *Ride to the Polls* campaign, aimed at boosting civic engagement in Indigenous communities. Ruffalo's involvement underscores his ongoing commitment to Native American causes through environmental activism and voter empowerment efforts.
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