The U.S. Supreme Court is examining a Republican-led challenge to the Voting Rights Act, focusing on Louisiana’s congressional map, which includes two majority-Black districts.
The case, heard on Wednesday, could weaken Section 2 of the 1965 law, a key provision aimed at preventing racial discrimination in redistricting.
A ruling for Louisiana might allow states to redraw electoral maps without restrictions, potentially leading to extreme gerrymandering.
This could favor Republican electoral prospects by reducing majority-Black and Latino districts, which often support Democrats.
Louisiana’s Republican-controlled legislature redrew its congressional map in 2022 to reflect 2020 census population shifts.
The initial map maintained five majority-white districts and one majority-Black district, prompting civil rights advocates to challenge it.
A lower court ruled that the map likely discriminated against Black voters, leading to a new map with a second majority-Black district.
White voters then filed a lawsuit, arguing that race was the primary factor in the redistricting, violating the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments.
A three-judge court agreed, escalating the case to the Supreme Court, which is now assessing the constitutionality of the second majority-Black district.
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority has previously limited race-based considerations, notably ending affirmative action in college admissions.
Twelve years ago, the court struck down another Voting Rights Act provision requiring federal approval for election changes in states with histories of racial discrimination.
In 2022, a 5-4 ruling upheld a violation of the Voting Rights Act in a similar Alabama case, resulting in new Black-majority districts.
The current case asks whether Louisiana’s intentional creation of a second majority-Black district is constitutional.
A decision could significantly impact congressional representation and the future of voting rights protections nationwide.