July 1 is the next scheduled court date for a pair of lawsuits related to North Dakota’s redistricting process. The legal issue concerns the political boundaries of the tribal areas and whether their federal rights are respected.

A lawsuit alleges the state violated the Voting Rights Act by failing to create a majority Native American legislative district for the Spirit Lake and Turtle Mountain reservations. The other case is to protect a newly created sub-district encompassing the Fort Berthold Reservation.

Native American Rights Fund staff attorney Michael Carter said he believes the law is on their side, noting recent federal activity in the former case.

“The US Department of Justice has filed a statement of interest in the case,” Carter said, “taking our stand against the state.”

The position is that the Voting Rights Act gives citizens the ability to assert their legal rights in these situations. The state disagrees and has sought to dismiss the case filed by the tribal nations.

The competing lawsuit, filed by GOP officials, argues that it was unconstitutional for the state to consider race when creating the Fort Berthold subdistrict.

Lisa DeVille, who resides on the Forth Berthold reservation, participated in the legal efforts on behalf of the tribesmen.

She said the legislators were right to establish the sub-district in this area and strengthen the voting power of the natives, and notes that this is an area often neglected by the state.

“The only time these people come to visit us is when they want our vote,” DeVille said. “Never seeing what we are dealing with, what we need, our needs, our desires.”

DeVille, who is currently running for House District 4A in the state Legislature, said keeping the subdistrict could pave the way for more candidates who better reflect the interests of tribal voters.

Meanwhile, GOP plaintiffs in the case have indicated they will present their case to the U.S. Supreme Court. They are appealing the denial of a preliminary injunction they sought before the primary elections last month.

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Democrats, Republicans and other political parties in Utah are holding primary elections on Tuesday, and advocates for older voters are promoting the importance of making sure their voices are heard.

Each party will choose its candidates for the November 8 midterm elections.

Danny Harris, advocacy director for AARP Utah, said there are some critical issues, both in the Utah Legislature and Congress, but ballots will also be filled with candidates running for office. state Supreme Court and appellate judge, county and city officers, school boards and local ballot measures.

“There are a lot of issues that are particularly important to voters over 50, especially right now,” Harris pointed out. “With rising prices, people are struggling to afford groceries and gas, dealing with the pandemic and a retirement savings crisis.”

People over 50 usually turn out to vote in large numbers. Harris urged them to study their local issues to make informed choices. Nonpartisan information is online at Vote.Utah.gov and at AARP.org/UTvotes. Voters can also contact their county elections office.

Harris pointed out that voters can still complete and mail an absentee ballot by Monday, or they can vote in their local precinct on Election Day. He said in-person voters should be prepared to show identification.

“You must provide at least one valid primary ID that includes your name and photo,” Harris explained. “Or you can provide two pieces of ID which, when combined, show your name and a current address.”

Harris added that each political party in Utah has its own ballot, and some, but not all, restrict voting to party members only.

“The Republican, Constitutional and Libertarian parties require voters to be affiliated with their respective parties,” Harris noted. “But the Democratic, United Utah and Independent American Party primaries are open. In the general election, however, voters use the same ballot.”

Voters who have questions or need assistance should contact election officials in their constituency. Polls will be open on election day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., or until everyone in line by 8 p.m. has voted.

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On the heels of Tuesday’s impeachment of South Dakota’s attorney general, a political pundit said it appears lawmakers have delivered on what voters hoped for.

In a legislative trial, the state Senate found Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg guilty of impeachment charges related to a fatal accident in 2020. He was also forced to resign and was barred from apply for a future position in the state.

Lisa Hager is an assistant professor of political science at South Dakota State University. She said the result reflects her department’s recent public polls.

“About 70% of South Dakota voters wanted Ravnsborg impeached and removed from office,” Hager said. “So it looks like the government here in South Dakota is following the will of the voters.”

Prior to the impeachment process, the situation drew widespread attention to Ravnsborg’s actions after the crash and whether he attempted to mislead investigators.

Ravnsborg’s defense argued that his actions constituted human error and that the law enforcement investigation ultimately resulted in traffic offences. But Hager said there was a different threshold in a political trial.

The votes weren’t unanimous, but Hager said she still felt it was a pretty compelling result, noting that the GOP-controlled Legislature overcame party infighting to convict another Republican.

Going forward, she said it doesn’t look like follow-up action is needed to regain public trust.

“I think there’s probably more confidence in the government in terms of how this incident was handled,” Hager said.

This week’s final vote marked the first time a statewide official in South Dakota has been impeached and removed from office.

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Voting in the New York primary election begins next Tuesday, and ahead of kickoff, a new voting rights bill was signed into law this week.

New York’s John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act includes many measures from the federal bill of the same name that passed the United States House but was held up in the Senate.

Melody Lopez, executive director of the New York State Civic Engagement Table, said the bill restores pre-vetting, where jurisdictions with a history of voter discrimination are required to have any changes reviewed. of their electoral code.

She noted that it also expands language access, protects against voter intimidation, and includes tools to combat voter suppression and dilution.

“It really sets a model for the nation in terms of how states respond to the rollback of voting rights law at the federal level,” Lopez asserted. “And also just kind of a model to refute some of the repressive election laws that have been passed in other parts of the country.”

She added that the bill would create a central public repository for voter and demographic data to promote transparency and evidence-based best practices for elections.

Lopez added that big changes to New York’s election code were long overdue, pointing out that there was a persistent turnout gap between white voters and BIPOC across the state.

“It reflects historical discriminatory practices, like racial gerrymandering, general elections that dilute the voting strength of minorities, especially in local state jurisdictions,” Lopez pointed out. “It can be difficult to access poorly located polling stations, language assistance failures; just a whole litany of practices.”

Lopez acknowledged voter turnout in New York has traditionally been low and urged residents to register to vote and ensure they vote in this year’s primary, either in person on Election Day, in person early or by mail. ballot. Early voting begins next Tuesday and continues for two months, until August 23.

Support for this report was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

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