SAN JUAN COUNTY, UT — The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah Foundation, Inc. (ACLU of Utah), DLA Piper LLP, The Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law and the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission (NNHRC) are proud to announce an extension of our settlement agreement with San Juan County, Utah, initially reached following a lawsuit filed in 2016. This settlement protects the rights of Navajo voters by requiring the County to provide in-person voting and accessible election information in Navajo language (Diné Bizaad). The Agreement, set to expire after the November 2024 election, will now remain in effect through the 2028 election cycle.
The Agreement ensures that voting materials and assistance are available in Navajo language at the polls and through local media outlets. Under the Agreement, dedicated voting information centers will operate in Montezuma Creek, Navajo Mountain, and Monument Valley in the weeks leading up to elections. Each center will be staffed with a trained Navajo language interpreter, offering services including voter registration, ballot replacement, and language assistance.
San Juan County will also share election information in the Navajo language at all Utah Chapter Houses, over the air on KNDN and KTNN radio, and in the Navajo Times and San Juan Record newspapers.
“Language access is not just a matter of convenience — it’s a civil right. All eligible voters have a right to full and equal voting access without barriers, including the right to read and understand their ballot and voting resources,” said Aaron Welcher the Director of Communications for the ACLU of Utah. “We’re encouraged that the extended agreement will continue because language access is voter access.”
“This settlement affirms a fundamental truth: the voices of Navajo voters in San Juan County matter. We are dedicated to making sure the ballot box remains open and accessible to Navajo language speakers today, tomorrow, and every day after that,” said Abby Cook a Staff Attorney for the ACLU of Utah.
A copy of this release is here.
A copy of the extended agreement is here.
###
