Montana Tribal Polling Locations Challenge

Lawsuit filed by six members of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes against Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen (R) and local officials in two counties challenging state and local officials’ refusal to provide polling places accessible to voters living on reservations. The plaintiffs allege that the closest polling locations to voters living on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation are 20 or 30 miles away at courthouses in Roosevelt and Valley counties. The plaintiffs argue that traveling that distance to register or vote places a significant burden on voters living on reservations, in violation of the right to vote in free and open elections under the state constitution. They ask the court to order the election officials to open satellite offices on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Frazer and Poplar, Montana that are open for the same hours and dates for in-person voter registration, late registration and in-person absentee ballot voting as the Valley and Roosevelt County Courthouses.

The plaintiffs filed their complaint on Sept. 30, 2024.

STATUS: On Oct. 2, the judge denied the motion for a temporary restraining order. There will be a hearing on a motion for a preliminary injunction in this case on Oct. 7.

Last updated: October 3, 2024 12:13 pm EST