Attorney General Ellison led 18 other attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, supporting the right of the American people to cast their ballots free from racial discrimination. The amicus brief, filed in Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians v. Howe, specifically argues in defense of the ability of private citizens to file lawsuits under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) when their rights are violated. “For over half a century, a key pillar of the Voting Rights Act has been individual voters’ ability to challenge racially discriminatory elections policy in court. It is deeply troubling that the Eighth Circuit has slammed the courthouse doors on voters challenging bigotry in our electoral process. Today, I am leading a coalition of attorneys general in asking the entire court, not just a three-judge panel, to review these important legal issues to ensure that voters in this circuit, like those in every other, have meaningful rights under the VRA. I will always defend Minnesotans’ freedom to vote without bigotry, bias, or discrimination.” – AG Ellison