Native Voters’ Fight for Fair Maps Reaches Supreme Court

Date
Case
Fighting For Fair Representation Under the Voting Rights Act for Native American Voters (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians et al., v. Howe)
Issues
Redistricting

St. Paul, MN — After the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit doubled down on their decision to strip voters in seven states of fair representation, Campaign Legal Center and co-counsel have now filed a motion to stay that Court’s decision, in preparation to seek U.S. Supreme Court review.

The Turtle Mountain Chippewa Band, Spirit Lake Nation, and several individual Native American voters in North Dakota have been fighting for fair representation against the legislatively adopted map since 2022. This past May, the Eighth Circuit boldly declared that they no longer have the right to challenge racially discriminatory maps or laws under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA).

Alongside co-counsel — Native American Rights Fund (NARF), the Law Offices of Bryan L. Sells, LLC, and Robins Kaplan LLP — Campaign Legal Center intends to make clear that Americans in every state have the right to challenge discriminatory maps. The Eighth Circuit has set a dangerous precedent for Americans’ voting rights, and we will fight to reverse it.

“Voters in North Dakota, throughout the Eighth Circuit, and across the United States, deserve fair maps — maps that allow voters an equal voice in our democracy. For sixty years, voters have sued to enforce their right under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act to voting maps free from racial discrimination. Native Americans in North Dakota vindicated their rights at trial and won a fair map, after facing a long history of discrimination,” said Mark Gaber, senior director of redistricting at Campaign Legal Center. “We will fight to make sure the Supreme Court preserves the right of all voters to sue under the Voting Rights Act to stop discriminatory maps and voting laws.”

For decades, Tribal Nations and Native voters in North Dakota have fought for a fair chance to vote and have their voices heard. The Eighth Circuit’s decision prevents voters in seven states from suing when they are racially discriminated against in violation of the Voting Rights Act. That decision is plainly wrong, and it will have a huge impact on Native voters. We are committed to fighting this decision, including taking it to the U.S. Supreme Court," said NARF staff attorney Lenny Powell.

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