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Protecting Alaska Natives' right to vote -- no matter what language they speak -- is critical</h1></div></div></div><p style="margin:0px 0px 15px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif;font-size:14px;line-height:20px;color:rgb(18,18,18)">
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<span class="" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline"><span class="" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:inherit;font-size:1.1rem;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;line-height:inherit;display:inline-block;zoom:1"><span class="" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0em;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-size:1.1rem;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;line-height:1;display:inline-block;zoom:1;color:rgb(35,68,102)"><span class="" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0em;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;line-height:inherit">Julie Kitka</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin:0px 0px 15px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif;font-size:14px;line-height:20px;color:rgb(18,18,18)"><span style="font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;line-height:inherit;color:rgb(34,34,34)">June 11, 2014</span></p>
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<div class="" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;line-height:inherit"><br></div></div>
</div><p style="margin:0px 0px 15px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif;font-size:14px;line-height:20px;color:rgb(18,18,18)">In an important Alaska voting rights case being tried in U.S. District Court this month, the state has asserted it isn’t required by law to translate all election materials into Native languages and that in general its language program is adequate. U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason overruled the state, saying the constitutional right to vote requires Alaska to translate all election materials into Native languages.</p>
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The Alaska Federation of Natives has long endeavored to protect Alaskans' right to vote. While the state has been slow to recognize the challenges facing Alaska Native voters, the federal government – including our Alaska Congressional Delegation and the federal Department of Justice – has been quickening its pace.</p>
<p style="margin:0px 0px 15px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif;font-size:14px;line-height:20px;color:rgb(18,18,18)"></p><p style="margin:0px 0px 15px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif;font-size:14px;line-height:20px;color:rgb(18,18,18)">
</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 15px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif;font-size:14px;line-height:20px;color:rgb(18,18,18)">Access full article below: </p>
<p style="margin:0px 0px 15px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif;font-size:14px;line-height:20px;color:rgb(18,18,18)"><a href="http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/20140611/protecting-alaska-natives-right-vote-no-matter-what-language-they-speak-critical">http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/20140611/protecting-alaska-natives-right-vote-no-matter-what-language-they-speak-critical</a><br>
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