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Navajos Settle Utah Voting Rights Case Over Mail-In Ballots

Navajos who once worried they'd have to drive hours to cast their ballots in Utah say a new settlement is a step forward as tribes challenge what they call discriminatory voting practices around the United States.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah said Thursday the settlement that requires tribal-accessible polling places and Navajo-language help is a victory for voting rights after a switch to mail-in voting left behind native voters.

Southern Utah's San Juan County says they're committed to fair elections, but took the steps themselves without the lawsuit that they blasted as a waste of taxpayer money.

The county is also appealing an order to re-draw voting districts that a federal judge found discriminated against native voters.

Similar legal clashes have been waged recently in Nevada, Alaska and the Dakotas.