Supreme Court Guts Section 2 of Voting Rights Act, Opens Door to Redistricting Before Midterms
Primary region US
Tags Justice · Elections · Policy
Regions US
The US Supreme Court on April 29 struck down Louisiana's congressional map in Louisiana v. Callais, ruling 6-3 that creating a second majority-Black district constituted an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. Justice Alito's majority opinion effectively gutted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, reworking the 40-year-old Thornburg v. Gingles framework to require plaintiffs' illustrative maps to meet all of a jurisdiction's political objectives, including incumbent protection. On May 4, the Court granted a request to immediately finalize the decision, allowing Louisiana to draw a new map before the 2026 midterms. The new map is expected to favor Republicans, who currently hold four of six Louisiana House seats but could gain one or two more. Legislators in at least 11 states have introduced bills to establish state-level voting rights acts in response.
Strategic interpretation
The ruling removes the primary federal tool for challenging racially discriminatory redistricting, shifting the battle to state courts and state-level voting rights acts. This accelerates the multi-state redistricting arms race ahead of the 2026 midterms, with both parties now freer to draw aggressive maps. The 11-state push for state VRAs may create a patchwork of protections that deepens regional political divergence.