OMAHA- Despite recent claims that Thurston County had redrawn the county board of supervisors districts to purposely discriminate against Native American voters who make up a majority of the county's population in order to ensure white politicians maintain control of the board, the County has denied the actions. The county claimed the lawsuit filed by both the Winnebago and Omaha tribes "have no basis in law or fact and are false."

In a counterclaim, the county is asking a judge to dismiss the lawsuit and declare the county's redistricting plan does not violate the law and protects all county residents' constitutional rights. The tribes are seeking a judge's order declaring the map violates the Voting Rights Act, preventing the county from conducting future elections using that map and requiring the implementation of a new districting plan that complies with the law.

Natives make up 50.3% of the voting age population, compared with 43% of whites, in Thurston County, which is home to both the Winnebago and Omaha Indian reservations. Natives believe they should have a serious chance to elect officials in four districts, but were only given the advantage in three. The current board currently only has two members who are Natives and five who are white.

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