The has weakened a key tool of that has helped root out racial discrimination in voting for more than half a century in a case concerning a Black majority congressional district in Louisiana.
The court鈥檚 conservative majority found that the district, represented by , relied too heavily on race. Chief Justice John Roberts had described the district as a 鈥渟nake鈥� that stretches more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) to link parts of the Shreveport, Alexandria, Lafayette and Baton Rouge areas.
It鈥檚 unclear how much is left of the provision, known as Section 2, but for Republican-led states to eliminate Black and Latino electoral districts that tend to favor Democrats and affect the balance of power in Congress. has already touched off to boost Republican chances.
The plaintiffs had argued that Louisiana鈥檚 second Black-majority congressional district, drawn to correct a previously discriminatory map, has an unconstitutional racial basis and did not follow the standards for drawing a district, including compactness.
Here’s the latest:
One of two Black Democrats representing Louisiana in Congress calls the decision a 鈥榙evastating blow鈥�
鈥淭his ruling is about far more than lines on a map 鈥� it鈥檚 about whether Black Louisianians will have a meaningful opportunity to make their voices heard,鈥� U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, whose predominately Black congressional district encompasses New Orleans, said in a written statement.
Carter said the consequences of the high court鈥檚 decision will be 鈥渋mmediate and severe鈥� and that Louisiana鈥檚 two majority-Black congressional districts are now at risk of being dismantled.
鈥淲ithout the protections of the Voting Rights Act, there is no evidence to suggest that Black voters in our state will be able to elect candidates of their choice,鈥� Carter wrote.
Conservative Heritage Action鈥檚 Kevin Roberts welcomed the majority opinion from Justice Alito
鈥淭he Civil War Amendments were forged at tremendous human cost to secure a constitutional order grounded in equality before the law鈥攏ot racial classifications,鈥� Roberts said. 鈥淭oday鈥檚 decision restores that understanding and reaffirms that the Constitution does not permit sorting Americans by race in the exercise of political power.鈥�
A top House Democrat predicts the court鈥檚 ruling will backfire on conservatives
鈥淭oday鈥檚 appalling decision by the Supreme Court is the latest in a long line of attacks by the conservative Court, congressional Republicans, and President Trump against the fundamental right of every American citizen to vote,鈥� said Rep. Suzan DelBene, who leads Democrats鈥� campaign efforts for the U.S. House.
She said 鈥淒emocrats remain poised to retake the House Majority in November.鈥�
鈥楢 devastating blow鈥�
Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, the nation鈥檚 oldest civil rights group, said the high court鈥檚 decision delivers 鈥渁 devastating blow to what remains of the Voting Rights Act.鈥�
The ruling is 鈥渁 license for corrupt politicians who want to rig the system by silencing entire communities,鈥� Johnson said Wednesday. 鈥淭he Supreme Court betrayed Black voters, they betrayed America, and they betrayed our democracy.鈥�
The ruling comes a month and a half after foot soldiers of the Civil Rights Movement by Alabama state troopers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. The violence that became known as Bloody Sunday shocked the nation and helped spur passage of the landmark legislation that the Supreme Court has now weakened.
鈥淭his ruling is a major setback for our nation and threatens to erode the hard-won victories we鈥檝e fought, bled, and died for. But the people still can fight back,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淥ur democracy is crying for help.鈥�
Voting rights group: Supreme Court decision lets states use partisanship to cloak racism
The decision 鈥済uts鈥� voting rights protection while 鈥減retending to uphold it,鈥� said Lauren Groh-Wargo, executive director of Fair Fight Action, a Georgia-based voting rights group founded by Democrat Stacey Abrams.
She said the court rewrote the law to require a showing of intentional discrimination.
That鈥檚 after Congress in the early 1980s specifically rewrote the Voting Rights Act to overturn an earlier Supreme Court decision in an Alabama case that tried to do the same thing. At the time, Roberts was a Justice Department attorney advocating for a showing of intentional discrimination.
鈥淚t allows states, counties and cities to shield their discriminatory maps by claiming they are advancing their own partisan interests, ignoring that race and party are highly correlated in places across the country, particularly the South,鈥� Groh-Wargo wrote in a text message to the AP.
White House hails the court鈥檚 decision
鈥淭his is a complete and total victory for American voters,鈥� White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said.
鈥淭he color of one鈥檚 skin should not dictate which congressional district you belong in. We commend the court for putting an end to the unconstitutional abuse of the Voting Rights Act and protecting civil rights,鈥� she said.
The Supreme Court decision could spur more states to join a national redistricting battle
More than a half-dozens states have already adopted new U.S. House districts since Trump urged Texas Republicans to redraw their districts last year in a bid to win more seats and maintain a slim House majority in the midterm elections.
The battle has been pretty even thus far. Republicans think they could gain up to nine more seats from new districts in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio 鈥� and perhaps four more if Florida lawmakers pass a new map. Democrats, meanwhile, think they could win 10 additional seats from new districts in California, Utah and Virginia.
The mayor of New Orleans condemns the Supreme Court decision
Mayor Helena Moreno, a Democrat who represents the largest city in Louisiana鈥檚 other predominantly Black congressional district, said the Supreme Court鈥檚 ruling was 鈥渁 step backward.鈥�
鈥淔or decades, the Voting Rights Act has served as a critical safeguard to ensure every voice, especially those historically marginalized, has a meaningful opportunity to be heard,鈥� Moreno said.
鈥淪triking down a district that reflected diversity suppresses voices and weakens our democracy. We should be working to expand representation, not roll it back,鈥� she said.
The Voting Rights Act marked its 50th anniversary last year
AP took a closer look at the history of the act, which the NAACP鈥檚 Demetria McCain said last year was at 鈥渁 critical juncture.鈥�
鈻�
Florida is pressing ahead with redistricting votes after the Supreme Court decision
The Florida Senate reversed itself and took a brief break so senators could review the decision and talk with attorneys. But the Republican-dominated chamber is still expected to vote later Wednesday to approve a GOP gerrymander of the state鈥檚 congressional districts.
House Republicans have not broken to consider implications of the Louisiana case in their arguments, despite the Democratic majority鈥檚 urging.
The current Florida congressional map gave Republicans a 20-8 advantage in the 2024 election. Gov. Ron DeSantis鈥� proposal is designed to push that to as much as 24-4 in November.
鈻�
Things to know about the Voting Rights Act
The 1965 voting rights law was the centerpiece legislation of the Civil Rights Movement. It succeeded in opening the ballot box to Black Americans and reducing persistent discrimination in voting.
Nearly 70 of the 435 congressional districts are protected by Section 2, election law expert Nicholas Stephanopoulos has estimated.
鈻�
Justice Elena Kagan wrote for the three liberal judges
鈥淭he consequences are likely to be far-reaching and grave. Today鈥檚 decision renders Section 2 all but a dead letter,鈥� Kagan stated in dissent.
The court split 6-3
Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the six conservatives, said the Louisiana district at the heart of the case 鈥渋s an unconstitutional gerrymander.鈥�
Roberts, the chief justice, described the district as a 鈥渟nake鈥� that stretches more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) to link parts of the Shreveport, Alexandria, Lafayette and Baton Rouge areas.
Redistricting is also being debated in Florida
The court鈥檚 decision was released as Florida legislators debated a proposed redraw of the state鈥檚 congressional lines, submitted by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and intended to give the GOP a chance at as much as a 24-4 advantage in the state鈥檚 U.S. House delegation.
Senate Democrats urged the Republican supermajority to delay debate to at least offer lawmakers a chance to read the decision and consult attorneys on how it might affect DeSantis鈥� proposal. Florida Senate Republicans refused.
Legal experts are still poring over the decision
The AP contacted multiple law professors and redistricting attorneys in the minutes after the decision came out who said they were still reading the decision so did not yet know its full implications.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
