On July 31, 2019, a divided panel of judges from the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit vacated a lower court’s injunction, which was put in place to protect Native American and other voters in North Dakota. The lower court had barred the enforcement of North Dakota’s voter ID law because it found it was discriminatory and unconstitutional. The Eighth Circuit acknowledged that Native American voters may be disenfranchised but found that the lower court’s injunction was too broad. Disappointingly, this week’s order from the Eighth Circuit again allows North Dakota to continue using the discriminatory new law, providing no relief to disenfranchised Native voters.
NARF Staff Attorney Matthew Campbell stated “We must protect the integrity of our voting system and ensure that all eligible voters (regardless of income, housing, or place of residence) have the freedom to vote. Every person’s voice must be heard. We will fight to ensure the voices of Americans—and specifically first Americans—are counted even if they do not have the luxury of a permanent home. Rules that inhibit an individual’s freedom to vote are a threat to our democratic ideals. We will continue to stand strong against these anti-democratic attacks.”
Read more about the North Dakota voter ID law.
