South Dakota: 6th day of Indian suit
South Dakota's election procedures are fair, open and not a barrier to participation by American Indians, state election officials testified in the sixth day of a voting rights lawsuit.
Secretary of State Chris Nelson and Bennett County Auditor Susan Williams both testified that their overriding philosophy is that it should be easy for people to vote. ...
Voter registration in the three American Indian reservation counties at issue in the lawsuit exceeds national and state voter registration averages, Nelson said. But the same isn't true for turnout.
"They've done a very good job getting registered to vote. But turnout rates fall to the bottom of the list. Going to the polls is another story," Nelson said.
Nelson said a former state tribal affairs officer told him Indians tend not to vote in state and federal elections because they care more about tribal government and less about state and federal government.
ACLU lawyers have argued that low Indian turnout can be attributed to a lack of faith in the system that is the result of a history of being unable to overcome the power of a white majority. -- Election officials: Everyone was treated equally (Rapid City Journal)