(CN) — A Montana judge Tuesday blocked a state law that restricts who can collect ballots, finding it likely violates Native Americans’ right to vote.
In a state where over 73% of voters cast ballots by mail, the Ballot Interference Prevention Act, enacted by Montana’s 2017 Legislature, restricts who can collect ballots and dictates that caregivers, family members and others can collect no more than six ballots per election.
Several Native American tribes and advocacy groups claim in their suit challenging the law that Native Americans in Montana’s seven reservations are particularly isolated, and tribal members often must rely on someone else to collect or transport their ballots to the post office.