Supreme Court ruling weakens Voting Rights Act Section 2, drawing civil-rights backlash

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled in Louisiana v. Callais, a decision that weakens Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and makes vote-dilution challenges harder to bring.

The Court ruled 6-3 and held that Louisiana’s map was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, according to the Court’s own website and same-day reporting from AP and Reuters.

The decision triggered immediate backlash from civil-rights groups. The NAACP called it a devastating blow to the Voting Rights Act and Black voting power, while the ACLU said it would make discriminatory maps harder to challenge.

The case is likely to have broader consequences for pending redistricting fights across the country. Section 2 has long been a central legal tool for challenging maps that dilute the voting strength of racial minorities.

The full practical effect of the ruling will become clearer as lower courts begin applying it to pending cases and as states and lawmakers consider their next moves.

For now, the decision marks one of the most significant voting-rights developments of the year and sets up a new round of litigation and political response.