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Reservation voting centers facing resistance in South Dakota
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Filed Under: Law | Politics
More on: cheyenne river sioux, crow creek sioux, oglala sioux, south dakota, voting rights
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A proposal to open satellite voting offices on reservations saw resistance from the South Dakota Board of Elections, The Sioux Falls Argus Leader reported. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, the Oglala Sioux Tribe and county officials endorsed the plan. Four Directions Inc., a voting rights group, noted that similar centers have already been established on two reservation counties. But Secretary of State Jason Gant, who sits on the board of elections, questioned the idea on a "contentious" conference call yesterday, the paper reported. He said he lacked authority to approve the plan without federal approval. The board ended up voting 4-3 against endorsing the plan. "They are stalling to try to find another way to say no, which is sure what it looks like,” Bret Healy, a spokesperson for Four Directions, told the paper. Tribal members in Montana are pursuing a lawsuit in federal court over the state's refusal to open satellite voting offices. Get the Story: Indian voting centers not approved by state elections board (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 8/1)

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