Federal judge won’t stay North Dakota voter ID law Native Americans say hurts them

A federal judge in North Dakota on Wednesday declined to grant emergency relief to a Native American tribe and voters who said they are being disenfranchised by North Dakota’s voter identification law. U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland ruled that granting an injunction days before the election “will create as much confusion as it will alleviate.”

But Hovland said the allegations contained in the lawsuit, filed Tuesday, “give this Court great cause for concern. The allegations will require a detailed response from the Secretary of State as this case proceeds.”

 Corey Goldstone, a spokesman for the nonprofit Campaign Legal Center, one of the organizations representing the plaintiffs, said that, “While we are disappointed with the order, Judge Hovland was correct that the evidence indicates that disenfranchisement will be ‘certain’. We are considering our options.” North Dakota Secretary of State Al Jaeger said he does not comment on pending litigation.

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