How a Supreme Court Case Could Reshape Voting Rights
By: Ameera Hamadeh
Edited by: Alexandra Stillman and Devon Gura
As the Supreme Court began their new term this past October, justices were presented with a landmark case, Louisiana v. Callais, which evaluated the redistricting of Louisiana’s congressional map to include two districts with a black-majority population. Members of the Court seemed open to reevaluating a key provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and its function within modern electoral processes. [1] This reevaluation, however, raises significant consequences for the fate of marginalized communities and their representation in American politics.
Originally enacted during the Civil Rights Movement, the Voting Rights Act remains a vital piece of legislation which removes barriers to Black voter enfranchisement and bans discriminatory practices. With the passage of the 15th Amendment—a pledge that U.S. citizens would not be denied the right to vote on the basis of race—several states created barriers to continue suppression of minority voters in the form of poll taxes and literacy tests. These restrictions disproportionately targeted individuals of color, preventing their political preferences from reaching the polls. [2] At the time, the Supreme Court aided the implementation of these barriers by solidifying the legitimacy of indirect state restrictions. [3] Because of such loopholes, the Voting Rights Act protects voting privileges from any state-sponsored limitations. [4]
Louisiana v. Callais challenges a congressional district in the state of Louisiana designed to provide communities of color an equal opportunity to elect their preferred representatives. [5] The case directly calls into question Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, a provision granting voters the power to challenge racial discrimination in elections, including the drawing of more equitable congressional districts. [6] While it will not be ruled on by the Court for several months, Harvard Law Professor Guy–Uriel Charles believes there is enough evidence to assume the Supreme Court may side with the state of Louisiana because of the Act’s “tension with the court’s colorblind jurisprudence,” a strain strongly hinted at in the Court’s 2023 ruling against race-based college admissions. [7]
Striking down the Voting Rights Act will not only reverse decades of legislative precedent promoting racial justice, but also dilute the voting power of minority groups. States with a history of depriving citizens voting rights are not likely to set up new protections in lieu of the law. [8] Southern states that would face effects from this ruling also “lack initiative processes,” meaning their legislators are unable to reinstate voting protections by creating new district lines for approval. [9] Therefore, there is little doubt from officials that the Supreme Court’s nullification of Section 2 would facilitate redistricting and consequently, the repression of minority voices across the states with little pushback from those in their offices.
Notes:
1. Anthony Zurcher and Kayla Epstein, “US Supreme Court Weighs 'Earthquake' Ruling that Could Reshape Political Map,” BBC, October 15, 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd67q9vq967o.
2. Kareem Crayton, “The Voting Rights Act, Explained,” Brennan Center for Justice, July 11, 2023,
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-rights-act-explained
3. “The Supreme Court Hears Arguments on a Key Section of the Voting Rights Act,” Common Cause, October 24, 2025,
https://www.commoncause.org/fr/articles/the-supreme-court-hears-arguments-on-a-key-s ection-of-the-voting-rights-act.
4. Kareem Crayton, “The Voting Rights Act, Explained,” Brennan Center for Justice, July 11, 2023, https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-rights-act-explained
5. Alice Bannon, “What Happens if the U.S. Supreme Court Guts the Voting Rights Act?,” State Court Report, August 19, 2025,
https://statecourtreport.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/what-happens-if-us-supreme-court guts-voting-rights-act.
6. “The Supreme Court Hears Arguments on a Key Section of the Voting Rights Act,” Common Cause, October 24, 2025,
https://www.commoncause.org/fr/articles/the-supreme-court-hears-arguments-on-a-key-s ection-of-the-voting-rights-act.
7. Anthony Zurcher and Kayla Epstein, “US Supreme Court Weighs 'Earthquake' Ruling that Could Reshape Political Map,” BBC, October 15, 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd67q9vq967o.
8. Alice Bannon, “What Happens if the U.S. Supreme Court Guts the Voting Rights Act?,” State Court Report, August 19, 2025,
https://statecourtreport.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/what-happens-if-us-supreme-court guts-voting-rights-act.
9. Ibid.
Bibliography:
Bannon, Alice. “What Happens if the U.S. Supreme Court Guts the Voting Rights Act?” State Court Report, August 19, 2025.
https://statecourtreport.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/what-happens-if-us-supreme-court guts-voting-rights-act.
Crayton, Kareem. “The Voting Rights Act, Explained.” Brennan Center for Justice, July 11, 2023. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-rights-act-explained.
“The Supreme Court Hears Arguments on a Key Section of the Voting Rights Act.” Common Cause, October 24, 2025.
https://www.commoncause.org/fr/articles/the-supreme-court-hears-arguments-on-a-key-s ection-of-the-voting-rights-act.
Zurcher, Anthony and Kayla Epstein. “US Supreme Court Weighs 'Earthquake' Ruling that Could Reshape Political Map.” BBC, October 15, 2025.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd67q9vq967o.