How will Justice Alito’s childhood experiences with 1960s redistricting continue to reshape the future of American elections?

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Justice Alito’s childhood exposure to the upheaval of 1960s redistricting is likely to keep pushing the court toward less federal supervision of election maps and a narrower reading of voting-rights protections. By his own account, watching his father struggle to redraw New Jersey districts after the Supreme Court’s “one person, one vote” rulings left him skeptical of judges managing political mapmaking. That skepticism is now visible in his opinions. In *Louisiana v. Callais* this year, Alito wrote for the court in a decision that sharply limited Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, making it harder to challenge maps on racial vote-dilution grounds unless plaintiffs can meet tougher standards tied to intentional discrimination and nonracial explanations. The practical effect is likely to be fewer successful federal lawsuits against disputed district maps and more freedom for states to defend maps using political or other nonracial goals. Because the court has already limited federal review of partisan gerrymandering, Alito’s approach further shifts the battleground from federal courts to state courts, state constitutions and state voting-rights laws. Experts warn this could reduce the durability of districts designed to preserve minority voting strength and intensify redistricting fights after each census and major election cycle. Supporters of Alito’s view say it restores constitutional limits and reduces race-based line drawing. Critics say it weakens one of the country’s …

Alito Shows No Sign of Retiring at 76 as Supreme Court Speculation Swirls

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Alito Shows No Sign of Retiring at 76 as Supreme Court Speculation Swirls

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