Supreme Court keeps North Dakota district map in place as tribal voting case proceeds

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday extended a hold on changes to North Dakota’s legislative district map, maintaining current boundaries while a tribal voting rights case advances, according to the North Dakota Monitor. The order prevents the 8th Circuit’s ruling from taking effect, which would have ended private citizens’ ability to sue under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act in that region. The lawsuit, filed by the Spirit Lake Nation, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and three tribal citizens, challenges the 2021 map for diluting Native American voting power.

Jamie Azure, chair of the Turtle Mountain Band, said the decision allows Native voters to continue protecting themselves “from discrimination at the polls.” Colette Brown, a plaintiff and state representative, said the ruling helps protect Native voices while the legal fight continues. The tribes have until early October to ask the Supreme Court to formally hear the case.