The US Justice Department announced May 28, 2020, it has entered into an agreement to settle a voting rights lawsuit with the Chamberlain School District in South Dakota.
The department’s complaint alleged the current at-large method of election for the Chamberlain School Board results in American Indian citizens in the School District having less opportunity than white citizens to participate in the political process and to elect candidates of their choice to the School Board, in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The department’s complaint did not allege the current method of election was adopted or maintained with discriminatory intent.
The department gave notice to the Chamberlain School District of its intent to bring suit under the Voting Rights Act on December 2, 2019, and the parties worked collaboratively to achieve an agreement. Under the agreement, the District will discontinue use of its current at-large method of electing its School Board. Starting in the 2021 election cycle, the seven members of the School Board will be elected from three two-member districts with one at-large position.
U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota Ron Parsons says this agreement is a victory for good government,. He says it upholds two of our most important constitutional pillars: representative democracy and equal protection under the law.
