Anchorage Daily News

The state of Alaska was in federal court this morning, fighting against demands that it provide voting ballots and other election materials in Yup'ik as well as English to residents of the Bethel area.

The Native American Rights Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit last year on behalf of Yup'ik elders and four tribal councils in Western Alaska. They are suing the state and the city of Bethel.

Lawyers for the elders and the tribal groups say the state and Bethel are violating the federal Voting Rights Act of 1975 by failing to provide ballots and other materials in Yup'ik to villagers and Bethel residents who don't speak English well or at all. Voters struggle especially to understand complicated ballot measures.

The state responded that Yup'ik is historically an unwritten language and therefore exempt from requirements that written translations be provided of voting materials. Lawyers for Bethel say that city already is doing a good job of providing translators and other help and that the case against it should be thrown out.

The hearing Wednesday was before U.S. District Judge Tim Burgess in Anchorage, who said he'll issue a ruling later.

ADVERTISEMENT