Supreme Court to Review Louisiana Map in Race-Based Redistricting Case, Examining Majority-Black Districts and Voting Rights Act

Nov 4, 2024, 03:53 PM

The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear a significant redistricting case from Louisiana, concerning the state's congressional map that includes two majority-Black districts. The decision addresses whether the map violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause by unlawfully considering race in drawing electoral boundaries. The case arises amid competing court orders, one from Judge Dick forbidding the use of the old maps, and another from two Trump-appointed judges preventing the state from using new maps enacted to comply with that order. The outcome could impact the political power of Black voters in Louisiana and affect the balance of power in Congress. The Supreme Court allowed the current map to be used in the November 5 election, and its ruling, expected after the 2024 election, will consider the role of race in drawing voting lines.