Sioux Tribes Sue South Dakota Over Failure to Provide Voter Registration

Two South Dakota Sioux tribes partnered with a voting rights group to bring a federal lawsuit against the state on Wednesday, claiming multiple agencies failed to offer voter registration services.

The Rosebud and Oglala Sioux tribes claim that the state violated the National Voter Registration Act by failing to provide opportunities to register voters and update voters’ registration information at motor vehicle agencies as well as public assistance offices.

The tribes claim it is the duty of these state agencies to provide services to “citizens who engage in common interactions with the offices.”

“Because of these violations of the NVRA, South Dakota is depriving thousands of tribal members and other citizens of their federally guaranteed opportunities to register to vote and to change their voter registration addresses when these citizens interact with state agencies,” the 42-page complaint states.

Passed in 1993, the NVRA, also known as the Motor Voter Law, sought to increase the number of eligible citizens who can register to vote in elections for federal office.

According to the complaint, the tribes claim numerous South Dakota agencies violated multiple sections of the NVRA in which the state is required to provide assistance at motor vehicle and assistance offices.


https://www.courthousenews.com/sioux-tribes-sue-south-dakota-over-failure-to-provide-voter-registration/