Prosecutors in South Dakota dropped voter fraud charges against an Indian woman accused of forging signatures on absentee ballot cards for the 2002 general election.

According to news reports, the state's own expert witness attested that the signatures were not forged. Prosecutors had no other choice but to seek to dismiss all counts against Rebecca Red Earth-Villeda, a member of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, though they said it was possible she could face charges for other alleged crimes.

Republicans outside the state and conservative media claimed there was massive voter fraud on reservations for the election. Indian voters carried Sen. Tim Johnson, a Democrat, to re-election.

Get the Story:
Charges dropped in voter-fraud case (AP 1/29)
Voter-registration fraud dropped (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 1/29)

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