John, I have wonderful news!

Today, we have reached a legally binding agreement with the state of North Dakota to help protect the voting rights of Native American voters. This win will help thousands of eligible voters exercise their right to vote! Learn more by watching and sharing our new video.

Here’s some background: In 2013, North Dakota passed a voter ID law that presented problems for many eligible Native American voters in the state. Those living on reservations often don’t have street addresses, and to add to the confusion, the state’s database of addresses is full of errors. 

Together with the Native American Rights Fund and former U.S. Attorney Tim Purdon, we sued the state of North Dakota on behalf of two Native American tribes, Standing Rock and Spirit Lake, and several individual voters.  

Now, the Secretary of State has agreed to take important steps to ensure that eligible Native American voters are not disenfranchised. This will impact a lot of people: collectively, over 7,000 residents of voting age live on the Standing Rock and Spirit Lake reservations, and nearly 20,000 Native Americans live on reservations in North Dakota, according to 2010 Census data. 

Please watch and SHARE our video below to help spread the word! 

This victory will help North Dakota Native Americans like our client Dion Jackson. Dion Jackson lives on Spirit Lake Reservation and is a U.S. citizen. He wanted to vote absentee in the 2018 Election, but his right to vote was denied on the basis of a supposedly “invalid” address, despite using an address that is on his North Dakota state-issued ID. With today’s consent decree filing, the state of North Dakota has agreed to take action to help ensure people like Dion can exercise their fundamental right to vote.  

Read the stories of six North Dakota residents that described their challenges accessing the ballot while living on the Spirit Lake Reservation in the days leading up to the 2018 elections. 

Please SHARE our video to spread the word.

Thank you for your continued support. 

Onward, 

Mark Gaber 
CLC Director, Trial Litigation 

P.S. You can read more of the details of today’s victory on our website.