2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 18
Louisiana and Alabama paused their primary elections after the Supreme Court’s late-April ruling opened the door to replacing maps with fewer majority-Black districts before the midterms.
The 6-3 decision raised the bar for Voting Rights Act challenges, requiring plaintiffs to show lawmakers weakened minority voting power because of race rather than politics.
Tennessee already rushed through a new map that splits Black voters in Memphis, and South Carolina lawmakers are weighing a special session to redraw districts.
Legal experts said the ruling landed in a narrow window—too late for orderly planning but early enough to force hurried redistricting—fueling confusion and backlash across the South.
With elections paused and maps redrawn, what happens to the thousands of ballots already cast by early voters?
After Louisiana v. Callais: Supreme Court Ruling Triggers Historic Drop in Black Representation and Weakens Voting Rights Act Nationwide
Overview
The Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais struck down a majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana, triggering immediate legal and political upheaval across Southern states. By significantly weakening a key part of the Voting Rights Act, the ruling led to sharp criticism from Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who warned it would cause chaos, while the majority argued it prevented race-based discrimination. Critics say the decision sanctions racial discrimination under the guise of partisanship, negatively impacting millions of Americans’ voting rights and leaving them with fewer ways to challenge unfair maps. This marks a major shift in voting rights protections and representation.