Supreme Court Ponders Ruling That Could Weaken Voting Rights Act

A group of plaintiffs challenging North Dakota’s state legislative maps are seeking the Supreme Court to block a ruling by the 8th Circuit that could weaken the power of the federal Voting Rights Act. The court ruled that private plaintiffs cannot enforce Section 2 of the VRA, which prohibits racial discrimination in voting.

The decision is particularly concerning for Native Americans, who have faced long-standing official discrimination in North Dakota. The plaintiffs argue that this ruling “upends sixty years of practice” and could harm Congress’s most important civil rights statute.

In 2022, federal court agreed with the plaintiffs that North Dakota’s map diluted the voting strength of Native Americans. However, the state appealed to the 8th Circuit, which ruled that private plaintiffs cannot challenge discrimination under Section 2.

The Supreme Court has granted an administrative stay on the decision and is considering whether to put it on hold. The court may also be inclined to agree with the 8th Circuit’s views, as suggested by at least two justices.

Source: https://www.scotusblog.com/2025/07/group-challenges-ruling-that-potentially-weakens-the-voting-rights-act