MAY 2, 2026
Supreme Court narrows Voting Rights Act Section 2 in 6-3 ruling, triggering redistricting moves across multiple states
The Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision, authored by Justice Samuel Alito, that narrows Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, making it harder for voters to challenge congressional maps they argue dilute minority representation. The ruling immediately invalidated Louisiana's congressional map, which had included a second majority-Black district created after years of litigation, and halted that state's scheduled May 16 House primaries. Republican governors and legislatures in several states moved quickly in the days following the ruling to pursue new district maps.
The Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais, handed down on Wednesday, struck down Louisiana's 6th Congressional District — redrawn in 2024 to include a predominantly Black electorate — and held that states may not use race either to draw districts that disenfranchise voters or to help minority communities support their preferred candidates, according to the Washington Examiner. Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry declared an emergency, and Gov. Jeff Landry directed lawmakers to pass a new congressional map on an expedited timeline, according to the Examiner.
Republican-led states moved quickly to act on the ruling. Alabama filed emergency motions asking courts to allow it to revert to an older map with only a single majority-Black district, Reuters reported. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said she would call a special legislative session to redraw congressional maps, reversing her earlier position of waiting for ongoing litigation to resolve, according to the Examiner. In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee announced a special legislative session to review the state's map, after President Donald Trump said he spoke with Lee and urged him to address what he described as flaws in the map. Mississippi officials signaled a special session could extend beyond its stated purpose to include congressional districts, potentially targeting the seat held by Rep. Bennie Thompson, the state's only Democratic member of Congress, the Examiner reported. Florida had already cleared a new map through its legislature before the ruling was issued, with that plan projected to create up to four additional Republican-friendly seats.
Democrats responded with a range of reactions. Rep. Bennie Thompson told CNN the ruling represented "Jim Crow 2.0." Rep. Troy Carter of Louisiana said the implications "go throughout every congressional district, every school board district, every legislative district." Senate Democrats renewed calls to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, though the measure remains stalled in the Senate, according to the Examiner. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said she would be willing to work with the state legislature to revisit redistricting as a counterbalance, while acknowledging constitutional limitations on acting immediately.