MARTIN, S.D. -- The Justice Department has reached an agreement with Bennett County, South Dakota, and county officials to resolve claims that the county didn’t provide equal access to registration and early voting for Native American voters. The department’s investigation found that Native Americans in the county faced barriers to in-person registration and absentee voting offered under state law, particularly because many American Indians living on Tribal lands could not easily travel long distances to the county seat in Martin, where those services were available.

To address these disparities, Bennett County will now operate a satellite office in Allen for the full state-mandated 46-day absentee voting period prior to federal, state and county elections.

“It is time to eliminate all barriers standing between Native American voters and the ballot box across our country. An inclusive democracy must provide all of its eligible voters access to the full range of voter registration and early voting opportunities required by law,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

“The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy, but that right is hollow without access to registration and early voting opportunities,” said U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell for the District of South Dakota. “We are grateful Bennett County has agreed to improve voting access for Native Americans in South Dakota by adding and staffing a satellite office in Allen.”

Since 2015, the state has made Help America Vote Act funds available to counties like Bennett to establish a satellite office on Tribal lands.