North Dakota to Appeal Ruling Protecting Native American Voting Rights

The appeal follows a significant ruling by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals limiting the ability to sue under the Voting Rights Act.

North Dakota's Secretary of State, Michael Howe, has announced his intention to appeal a recent ruling that protected the voting rights of two Native American tribes.
The appeal comes in the wake of a significant ruling by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that private individuals and groups do not have the ability to sue under a key section of the Voting Rights Act.
The tribes, the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and the Spirit Lake Tribe, had sued last year, alleging that the 2021 legislative redistricting map unlawfully diluted their voting rights.
U.S. District Chief Judge Peter Welte had ruled that the 2021 map prevents Native American voters from having an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice, a violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
Judge Welte had given the Republican-controlled Legislature until Dec. 22 to adopt a plan to remedy the violation.