US Supreme Court Invalidates Section 2 of Voting Rights Act in Louisiana Redistricting Decision

On June 28, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6‑3 ruling that effectively dismantled Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which required federal pre‑clearance for changes to voting laws.

The case involved Louisiana’s congressional map that created two majority‑Black districts. The majority opinion, led by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, held that the map was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, calling it a “snake” stretching over 200 miles and emphasizing geographic compactness over race.

The decision removes a key enforcement tool against racial discrimination in redistricting, allowing Republican‑led states to redraw districts without the previous federal oversight. Critics—including former President Barack Obama, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the ACLU, and Democratic leaders—warn it will suppress minority voting power for generations. Republican officials such as Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry praised the ruling as a correction of “racial favoritism.”

The ruling is expected to influence redistricting in other Southern states—Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia—and could shape the 2024 midterm and future congressional elections. Democrats have called for legislative responses, including the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.