voting rights

Order Denying Motion to Dismiss in Rosebud and Oglala National Voter Registration Act Lawsuit

Matthew Campbell

Here is the Order Denying South Dakota’s Motion to Dismiss Rosebud and Oglala’s Complaint that South Dakota is failing to comply with the National Voter Registration Act.

doc.-115-memorandom-and-order-denying-defs-motion-to-dismiss-rst-v-barnett0-2022.05.17-00234861x105fe6Download

Here is the Amended Complaint.

doc.-044-amended-complaint-2021.08.10-rosebud-00224240-2Download

Previous post on this issue here.

Lower Brule Sioux Tribe v. Lyman County Board of Commissioners

Matthew Campbell

Here is the complaint in Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, et al., v. Lyman County.

20220518-lyman-county-sd-redist-complaintDownload

And here is the release on the litigation.

“Through this lawsuit we’re insisting Lyman County hold elections with a fairly drawn map in 2022,” said plaintiff, voter, and Lower Brule Sioux Tribe Vice Chairman Neil Russell.

The Lower Brule Sioux Tribe and three enrolled members filed the lawsuit to prevent Lyman County from continuing to violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act until 2026. “Like every other county already using new election district maps adopted after the 2020 Census in 2022, Lyman County must comply with the Voting Rights Act and implement the revised district map immediately,” said Native American Rights Fund (NARF) Staff Attorney Samantha Kelty. “Lyman County cannot continue to disenfranchise voters who live on the Lower Brule Sioux Reservation until 2026.”

MHA Nation moves to intervene in redistricting case in North Dakota.

Matthew Campbell

The MHA Nation and individual Native American voters in North Dakota have filed a motion to intervene as defendants into a North Dakota District Court redistricting case.  The plaintiffs have sued the State to overturn a legislative subdistrict for the Fort Berthold Reservation.  The MHA Nation and tribal member intervenors are seeking to defend the Fort Berthold Reservation subdistrict that was approved by the North Dakota legislature.

Motion to intervene here:

mha-motion-to-interveneDownload

Press release here.

Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and Spirit Lake Tribe v. Jaeger

Matthew Campbell

The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, Spirit Lake Tribe, and several individual voters filed suit in North Dakota challenging North Dakota’s state legislative map as unlawfully diluting the voting rights of Native Americans in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). You can see the complaint here.

Press release is here.

May be an image of text that says 'REDISTRICTING "In a process that is supposed to produce election boundaries that fairly and accurately reflect North Dakota's population, the state instead approved a map designed to stifle Native American votes." -PLAINTIFF WES DAVIS TURTLE MOUNTAIN CHIPPEWA) CHAIR OF NORTH DAKOTA NATIVE VOTE NARF'

Voting Rights Webinar – October 5th, 2021

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Addressing Barriers to Native American Voting Rights: A Tribal-Federal Roundtable Discussion

October 5th, 2021 | 3:00pm – 4:00pm EDT | Register now!

Please join us for a virtual roundtable discussion addressing the barriers to Native American voting rights.

Speakers include:

Sen. Ben Ray Luján, New Mexico

Sen. Jon Tester, Montana

Rep. Sharice Davids, Kansas

Chairman Timothy Nuvangyaoma, Hopi Tribe

Chairwoman Shelly Fyant, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes

General Counsel Natasha Singh, Tanana Chiefs Conference

Please view the attached flyer for more details. Register now!