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North Dakota’s Racist Voter voter suppression law Is Already Backfiring

A last-ditch effort to block enforcement of a law aimed at Native Americans has failed in court. But the law has also triggered a backlash—and thousands have new credentials. North Dakota’s Native American communities suffered a setback on Thursday, as a court ruled that the state’s voter suppression law can remain in effect for this year’s election. But outrage over the law has led to a huge backlash and grassroots efforts to help people vote despite the law. In 2012, now-Sen. Heidi Heitkamp won a surprise, razor-thin victory to become North Dakota’s only statewide elected Democrat. She won by fewer than 3,000 votes. There are roughly 30,000 Native Americans in North Dakota, roughly 5 percent of the state population, and they overwhelmingly supported Heitkamp. In response, the state’s Republican-dominated legislature passed a new law in that seems specifically intended to make it harder for Native Americans to vote. In addition to a strict ID requirement, the law requires all