Montana Native Americans sue for more in-person voting sites

In Montana, Native Americans from the Fort Peck Reservation have initiated legal action against state and county officials due to insufficient in-person voting locations. This lawsuit, filed on a Monday, highlights ongoing challenges faced by tribes in securing equal voting rights, a struggle that has persisted for decades. The plaintiffs, residing in remote communities near the Canadian border, seek the establishment of satellite voting offices to facilitate late registration and early voting, alleviating the burden of long travel distances to the county courthouse in Glasgow. The attorney representing the plaintiffs, Cher Old Elk, emphasizes the financial strain on potential voters, who must choose between essential needs and transportation costs to vote. The lawsuit requests that Valley and Roosevelt counties, along with Secretary of State Christi Jacobson, create these satellite offices, which would operate during the same hours as the county courthouses. Previous attempts to secure voting rights for Native Americans have led to some progress in other states, but inequities remain prevalent on the Fort Peck Reservation. The counties' responses to the requests for satellite offices have been inadequate, with Roosevelt County denying the request and Valley County citing budget constraints. This legal action underscores the ongoing fight for equal access to the ballot for Native Americans, who have historically faced numerous barriers to voting since Montana's territorial organization in 1864. The plaintiffs hope that this lawsuit will prompt necessary changes to improve voting access in their communities.