Election Reform

eridani

(51,907 posts) Sun Mar 13, 2016, 06:23 AM Mar 2016

Return to Sender: Navajo Voters Reject Mail-in Voting

http://inthesetimes.com/rural-america/entry/18963/mail-in-voting-on-navajo-reservation-may-violate-voting-rights-act

A high-powered coalition of attorneys has filed a federal voting-rights lawsuit against San Juan County, Utah. They’ve done so on behalf of the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission (NNHRC) and individual Navajo voters living in the county, which overlaps their reservation. The coalition includes The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, founded at the request of President Kennedy, the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Utah and international law firm DLA Piper.

The lawsuit alleges that San Juan County’s 2014 switch to mail-in elections makes it hard for non-English-speaking Navajos to vote because they can’t read the English-only ballet. Further, the change is predicated on the reservation’s unreliable postal system. If a voter doesn’t receive or understand a ballot, the option of casting one in person in the largely white northern part of the county—which has the only polling place left—is a difficult and costly trek for tribal members, who mostly live at great distances from it. These unequal burdens violate the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution, says the complaint, Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission v. San Juan County et al.

5 replies

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Return to Sender: Navajo Voters Reject Mail-in Voting (Original Post) eridani Mar 2016 OP

That's messed up Bradical79 Mar 2016 #1

I know that area fairly well, its larger than many European countries! Baobab May 2016 #5

Good for you, Navajo Nation! raging moderate Mar 2016 #2

Kudos to the Navajo Nation leftofcool Mar 2016 #3

Hope they are successful. There are plenty of schools and civic buildings able to hold voting FailureToCommunicate Mar 2016 #4

Bradical79

(4,490 posts)

1. That's messed up

Reply to eridani (Original post)

Sun Mar 13, 2016, 08:52 AM

Mar 2016

I love the idea of voting by mail, but it can't be made the only option. It shouldn't be THAT difficult to set up a physical polling place.

Baobab

(4,667 posts)

5. I know that area fairly well, its larger than many European countries!

Reply to Bradical79 (Reply #1)

Mon May 2, 2016, 10:52 PM

May 2016

this is an absolutely outrageous situation.

raging moderate

(4,305 posts)

2. Good for you, Navajo Nation!

Reply to eridani (Original post)

Sun Mar 13, 2016, 08:58 AM

Mar 2016

Every vote counts!

leftofcool

(19,460 posts)

3. Kudos to the Navajo Nation

Reply to eridani (Original post)

Sun Mar 13, 2016, 09:23 AM

Mar 2016

Some of the Elders living on the Navajo Reservation live 10 miles from the nearest Post Office and they have no transportation to get there. Many do not speak English at all and some of those who do can not read it.

FailureToCommunicate

(14,014 posts)

4. Hope they are successful. There are plenty of schools and civic buildings able to hold voting