BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A federal judge in North Dakota has blocked the state’s voter identification law after it was challenged by a group of American Indians.
U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland issued a temporary restraining order Monday. Hovland wrote that the state could easily fix the problem by letting voters file affidavits or declarations if they don’t have a valid ID.
The lawsuit was filed in January by seven members of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. They alleged that the state’s voter identification requirements “disproportionately burden and disenfranchise Native Americans.”
Hovland agreed, ruling that the state’s “ill-advised” repeal of “fail-safe” provisions in 2013 resulted in an undue burden on Native Americans trying to vote.
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