Attorney General Ellison today led a coalition of 23 attorneys general in urging the Supreme Court to review a lower court decision that prevents individuals from suing to enforce the Voting Rights Act (VRA). The amicus brief, filed in Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians v. Howe, defends the right of individuals to sue to enforce Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, a provision that is essential to ensuring Americans can cast ballots free from racial discrimination.
"The Voting Rights Act would not be nearly as effective at preventing racial discrimination in our elections if individual voters could not sue over discriminatory election policy,” said Attorney General Ellison. “Unfortunately, the Eighth Circuit slammed the courthouse doors on voters challenging bigotry in our electoral process. This ruling is a profound risk to millions of Americans’ freedom to vote, so today, I am leading a coalition of attorneys general in asking the Supreme Court to step in and correct this injustice. I will not sit back and allow the voting rights of Minnesotans to be eroded."