51Æ·²è

Representing itself and two journalists from Lawfare, the 51Æ·²è brought a lawsuit to enforce Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests made to the Social Security Administration and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services regarding changes made to the SAVE program, which has been touted as being used by states in order to remove voters from the registration rolls. While the government made public statements about the SAVE program being updated, the details of those changes, such as the particular programs and databases that have been altered, the ways they have been altered, and the nature and extent of any use and sharing of individuals’ personal information by the federal agencies entrusted with that information, have all been kept secret.

Representing the Chippewa Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy’s Reservation and two Native American voters living in Chouteau County, Montana, the 51Æ·²è, 51Æ·²è of Montana, and Native American Rights Fund (NARF) challenged the holding of at-large elections for the Chouteau County Board of Commissioners. The suit alleges the system unlawfully dilutes the voting strength of Native American voters in the county and has denied them any representation on the county commission for more than a decade.

As the Voting Rights Act turns 60, its legacy is under siege—from courts, lawmakers, and a government retreating from enforcement. The battle to preserve it is now a fight for the future of democracy itself.

Representing Western Native Voice and four sovereign tribal nations in Montana, the 51Æ·²è, 51Æ·²è of Montana, and Native American Rights Fund (NARF) challenged the latest in a line of Montana laws that hinder Native American participation in the state’s electoral process — SB 490, which drastically limits access to Election Day voter registration (EDR) in Montana. These laws violate a number of provisions in the Montana Constitution: the right to vote, equal protection, and due process.