US Supreme Court weakens Voting Rights Act in Louisiana redistricting case

The U.S. Supreme Court on April 29 issued a 6-3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais that weakens Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act in a Louisiana redistricting dispute.

The case involved a congressional map that created a second majority-Black district in Louisiana. AP reported that the court’s conservative majority found the district relied too heavily on race, while other coverage said the ruling sharply limits the practical use of Section 2 in future map fights.

Immediate reactions from California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the ACLU said the decision threatens fair representation for voters of color and could make race-based vote-dilution claims harder to bring.

The practical effect will depend on how lower courts and state officials interpret the ruling. But the decision is already being treated as one of the most important voting-rights cases in years, with redistricting battles likely to intensify in its wake.