NYT editorial page on voter ID requirement in SD

The New York Times has an editorial today headlined "Indians Face Obstacles Between the Reservation and the Ballot Box." Excerpt:

Last year, after Indians had made the difference in Senator Johnson's election, the Republican-controlled State Legislature passed a new voter ID law that posed a particular hardship for Indians, who often do not have driver's licenses. They were assured that the new law would not present a problem, since it stated that any voter without ID "may complete an affidavit" instead. But many Indians were concerned that poll workers, who are often hostile to them, would ignore that provision.

That seems to be precisely what happened on June 1, and voting rights activists do not believe the mistakes in applying the law were accidental. As evidence, they have produced instructions used in Corson County on Election Day, apparently written by the Corson County auditor, saying: "Some voters are reporting that ID is not required. Please inform the voters that ID is in fact required." South Dakota Secretary of State Chris Nelson insists that county auditors were all properly trained on the new law. In Corson County, "the auditor chose to add some additional instructions," he says. "I don't know why."

It's interesting to note a quote from Fall River County State's Attorney Lance Russell in an AP report regarding the use of the affidavits in lieu of identification in Shannon County, home of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation:

Lance Russell, state's attorney in Fall River County, said he has started looking into complaints about voters being turned away in Shannon County. He said he has found no instances when registered voters were denied the right to cast a ballot. Fall River County provides services to Shannon County under a contract.

"There were over 300 affidavits for Shannon County filled out on election day, so they were using them," Russell said.

(Emphasis added.) Throughout the NYT piece, one can readily observe that nearly all of the allegations are the same ones publicized by the group called Four Directions, which, as the AP reported, is basically a stalking horse for the South Dakota Democratic Party.