The Supreme Court significantly limited a key provision of the Voting Rights Act. 6-3Government","Add":{"Target": :"New","Property":(),"url": :"https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-109_21o3.pdf","_Identification": :"0000019d-d9ae-dc33-abff-fdfeaa5e0002","_Type": :"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_Identification": :"0000019d-d9ae-dc33-abff-fdfeaa5e0003","_Type": :"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>A 6-3 ruling Wednesday, further reducing the impact of the landmark civil rights-era law.
For decades, Section 2 – a provision that broadly outlaws discrimination in voting based on race – has been interpreted to protect the voting power of minorities, allowing, and sometimes demanding, the use of race-conscious data in redistricting.
But the court’s new opinion, which divided the justices along ideological lines, raises questions about how states can use race in their map-making process. The case challenges two majority black districts in Louisiana.
Liberal groups feared the court would strike down the law entirely, allowing red states to redraw maps across the country and effectively shutting down GOP control of Congress. Meanwhile, Republicans believe that considering race in congressional districts is discriminatory and unconstitutional.
Now, the gray area left by the court’s decision adds further uncertainty to redistricting, which has become a key tool for both parties this cycle.
