The state of South Dakota is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling in a Native voting rights case.

The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals on July 14 said that the state has been intentionally violating the voting rights of Native Americans for decades. "Plaintiffs have shown that for over 25 years defendants have intended to violate and have violated the preclearance requirements of the [Voting Rights Act]," a three-judge panel said.

The decision blocked the state from implementing a voter redistricting law without first submitting it to the Department of Justice. The state says it doesn't need preclearance in counties where Native American voters are not the majority.

The American Civil Liberties Union argues otherwise. The ACLU is representing members of the Yankton Sioux Tribe who live in Charles Mix County, where the non-Native population is slightly larger than the Native population.

Get the Story:
State appeals voting-rights case (The Rapid City Journal 8/9)

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