Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute opens first on-campus voter registration office for students

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Supporting President Biden’s Executive Order on Promoting Access to Voting, the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) opened the first voter registration office on campus, kicking off the new school year in September 2023.

This announcement follows the New Mexico Secretary of State’s July 2022 decision to designate the college as a voter registration agency under the National Voter Registration Act to make voter registration easily accessible for all.

“Voting is essential for a healthy democracy and the protection of liberty. SIPI’s new office will increase voter access to basic information and provide education on the registration process,” said Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland. “The new office is an important move that will allow more people to participate in a process that should be easily accessible to everyone.”

“Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute is proud to offer a new voter registration site on campus. I believe this is a great step to ensure more students become registered voters to make their voices heard,” said SIPI President Dr. Tamarah Pfeiffer. “As an educational institution, we believe this is an exciting and important addition to the services we offer the community.”

SIPI is located at 9169 Coors Blvd NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico. The new office is in the Student Success Center in Building 101, Room 118, and is open Monday through Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m.

About the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute

The Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) is a federally funded Tribal college located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was established in 1971 as a vocational training center to provide education and training to Native American individuals from various Tribes across the United States. SIPI's focus is on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education, along with other vocational and technical programs. For more information, visit https://www.sipi.edu/.

The Bureau of Indian Education implements federal Indian education programs and funds 183 schools across 24 states. BIE oversees the operation of two postsecondary schools: Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute and Haskell Indian Nations University. For more information, visit https://www.bie.edu/.

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