Here are some recent updates.

• A federal court rejected a Republican lawsuit challenging North Dakota’s legislative districts. The court upheld four new subdistricts that were created to give Native American voters an equal opportunity to elect their candidates of choice.

  • A separate ongoing lawsuit brought by tribal nations alleges that some of the state House districts violate the Voting Rights Act by diluting Native voting power. A trial was held earlier this year and a decision is pending in this case. 

• Groups ask a federal court to temporarily block a Montana law that imposes criminal penalties on people who are registered to vote in more than one state. The groups argue the law could penalize voters who are unknowingly registered in multiple states.

• Trial began in a federal lawsuit challenging two Arizona laws with strict proof of citizenship requirements for voter registration, House Bills 2492 and 2243. These laws put thousands of eligible voters’ registrations at risk. Read more about the critical 12-day trial here.

• The U.S. Department of Justice joined a lawsuit over Georgia's redistricting maps to protect Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). State Republicans are arguing that the critical provision — which prohibits racial discrimination in voting — is unconstitutional.

• Also in Arizona, Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) announced that the state will use $2.3 million in American Rescue Plan funding to invest in its election systems and administration ahead of 2024.

Here’s what to expect coming up.

• In Texas, oral argument will be held in a lawsuit challenging Galveston County’s Commissioners Court precincts for diluting Black and Latino voting power in violation of Section 2 of the VRA. The commissioners court is the county’s legislative body. 

ICYMI, listen to our latest episode of Defending Democracy. In the podcast episode that dropped on Friday, Mike Podhorzer, former political director of AFL-CIO, joined Marc and Paige to share his insights on how the democracy and voting rights movement can learn a lot from the labor movement. Listen on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.