Politics
Judge bars GOP from watching Yankton Sioux voters


A federal judge has barred the Republican Party from watching voters from the Yankton Sioux Reservation in South Dakota.

A Republican testified that he was writing down the license plate numbers of cars carrying voters from the reservation to a polling place in Charles Mix County. But Joel C. Mandelman, a lawyer from the Washington, D.C., area said his activities did not stop anyone from voting.

U.S. District Judge Lawrence Piersol issued a temporary restraining order sought by Sen. Tom Daschle (D-South Dakota). Daschle accused Republican John Thune of intimidating Indian voters.

Charles Mix County has a large Indian population but non-Indians make up the majority. In the 2002 Senate election and the recent special House election, Indian voters overwhelmingly chose Democratic candidates.

Areas of the county used to be considered part of the reservation but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that tribal lands were diminished.

Get the Story:
Judge orders GOP to halt poll tactics (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 11/2)
Judge Partially Grants Sen. Daschle Requst (AP 11/2)
Daschle files suit against GOP (AP 11/2)

Court Documents:
Temporary Restraining Order | Daschle Complaint | Daschle Brief | Minutes of Hearing

Relevant Links:
Sen. Tom Daschle - http://daschle.senate.gov
Tom Daschle, campaign site - http://www.tomdaschle.com
John Thune for US Senate - http://www.johnthune.com

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