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Representing the Chippewa Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy’s Reservation and two Native American voters, the ºìÐÓÊÓƵ, ºìÐÓÊÓƵ of Montana, and Native American Rights Fund (NARF) have brought suit challenging Chouteau County’s at-large voting system for the Board of County Commissioners in federal district court in Montana. Under the current system, all voters in Chouteau County cast ballots for all three commissioners, with each having to live in a separate residency district, instead of electing commissioners by district. As a result, Native voters — who now make up approximately one-third of the county’s voting-age population — have consistently been unable to elect a candidate of their choice. The three current commissioners have all been elected and re-elected under this system since at least 2010.

This electoral system deprives Native American voters in the County from having the opportunity to elect their candidates of choice, in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

After mediation, the parties agreed on a settlement which included the exact relief sought throughout the lawsuit: the drawing of a single member district in which Native voters in Chouteau County will have an opportunity to elect their candidates of choice. This crucial relief will be in place for the next election in November 2026, where Native voters in Chouteau County will have representation on the County Board of Commissioners for the first time.