The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday held that Blaine County, Montana, violated the voting rights of American Indians.

A three-judge panel of the court said the county's at-large election system diluted the voting power of Indian residents. Even though 45 percent of the county is Indian, the system prevented Indians from election a candidate of their choice.

The county has since eliminated the system in response to the litigation. The appeals court upheld findings of "a history of official discrimination against American Indians" and "voting procedures that enhanced the opportunities for discrimination against American Indians."

The county encompasses the Fort Belknap Reservation, where 80 percent of the population is Indian. "Despite their geographic concentration, no American Indian was ever elected to the Blaine County Commission under the at-large voting system," the court wrote.

The county was represented by Mountain States Legal Foundation, a conservative legal group that has fought sacred site protections and tribal jurisdiction over non-Indians. An attorney said he would recommend the case be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Get the Story:
Court agrees Blaine county's old vote system illegally discriminated against Indians (AP 4/8)

Get the Decision:
US v. BLAINE COUNTY (April 7, 2004)

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