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Nevada, Washoe, Mineral Counties Settle Voting Rights Case

The state of Nevada and two counties have agreed to pay $60,000 in legal fees to two tribes that won a federal court battle over Native American voting rights.

Washoe and Mineral counties also agreed to work with the Pyramid Lake and Walker River Paiute tribes to improve access to early voting sites on their reservations in future elections.

The tribes' lawyers asked for $117,000 in legal fees but settled for a total of $60,000 — $25,000 from Washoe County, $20,000 from the state and $15,000 from Mineral County.

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Washoe County Assistant District Attorney Michael Large told the Reno Gazette-Journal that he believes the settlement is fair.

The tribes argued in their lawsuit it only would have cost the counties about $10,000 to comply with Voting Rights Act requirements that all Nevadans have equal access to the polls.