Litigation: Thurston County Redistricting
The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, and individual voters filed a lawsuit in Jan. 2023, against Thurston County and elected county officials for adopting county supervisor districts that intentionally dilute the Native vote and do not comply with federal Voting Rights Act (VRA) protections. If the case is successful, it will be the third time Thurston County’s Board of Supervisor redistricting plans have been found to violate the VRA by discriminating against Native American voters. “Native Americans now make up a majority of the voting-age population in Thurston County. Instead of following the law to provide…