Alaska: Yup'ik speakers file suit over language rights in elections
The Anchorage Daily News reports: A federal lawsuit was filed Monday on behalf of Native voters in the Bethel area whose primary language is Yup'ik.
The lawsuit filed by the Native American Rights Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska seeks to have state and regional election officials provide oral and written voter assistance to Yup'ik-speaking voters in the region.
The lawsuit wants election officials to come up with a plan to ensure that Yup'ik-speakers with limited English are able to understand and participate "in all phases of the electoral process." It would require that federal observers be on hand for elections held in the Bethel area. ...
The lawsuit says the problem extends beyond providing an official ballot for federal, state and local elections that voters can read. Officials also have failed to translate a host of other written voting materials including advertisements for voter registration, election dates, absentee voting opportunities, polling place locations and voting machine instructions. -- Yup'ik voters need more, lawsuit says
The case is Nick v. Bethel, No. 3:07-cv-00098-TMB, and a copy of the complaint is here.
Thanks to Neil Bradley, one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs, for bringing this to my attention.