Show Ute Indians get voting rights for first Time in coming state elections by June Cook A new law enacted by the 1957 State now permits Indians and citizens living on Indian or military reservations the right to register and vote in Utah elections on the same basis as other citizens residing off Indian This new law was made effective when Preston a member of the Ute Indian Tribe requested an absentee ballot from the County Clerk of Duchesne Allen was refused the ballot for the heason that he stated lived on an Indian reservation in Utah and did not establish a residence in any other precinct in the State prior to this The County Clerk stated that he intended to deny Allen and other Indians similarly situated the right to register and vote in the general elections of that year and other future elections because of a definition of as a qualification to vote as contained in our election reads person living upon any Indian or Military not be deemed a resident of Utah the meaning of this unless such person had acquired a residence in some county in Utah prior to taking up his residence upon such Indian or Military Action Brought On September 1956 Allen brought an original action in the Supreme Court of the State of seeking a mandatory order restraining the County Clerk from applying above statute so as to deny Allen and other American Indians similarly a right to vote for the sole reason that they are American reside on an Indian or have never resided elsewhere in the State of I In a democracy is a most basis civil since its exercise is the chief means whereby other rights may be The public of our Indian citizens having a right to unimpeded by unequal classification and denials on of race or is demonstrated by the fact that all states except Utah allowed whether residing on Indian reservations or to The Legislature of the State of Utah has enacted and the Governor of Utah has approved the House Bill has now become law amends The Utah Legislature has eliminated subsection 11 which required that residents of Indian and Military reservations first acquire residence off such The said parties have entered into a stipulation that by reason of such amendment Indians residing on Indian reservations in or not they have previously a residence elsewhere in the are entitled to vote in Utah elections on the same basis as other citizens residing off Indian if they meet all Utah voting requirements other than and that under the amendment the fact that an Indian resides on a reservation is no bar to his Since this is an election year for our State and County the Tribal leaders and the citizens of Uintah and Duchesne Counties should help the Indians and encourage them to register and This is all new to the Indian and is the first step for them towards their statehood rights when they will one day face termination and know the importance of |