Supreme Court voids Louisiana congressional map as unconstitutional gerrymander

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that Louisiana's newly drawn congressional map was unconstitutionally gerrymandered, striking down a redistricting plan that created two predominantly Black congressional districts.

The 6-3 decision, issued by the court's conservative majority, found that the map relied too heavily on race in violation of the Constitution. Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority, stated that Louisiana's map constituted an "unconstitutional gerrymander" and held that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act "imposes liability only when circumstances give rise to a strong inference that intentional discrimination occurred."

The ruling eliminates one of the two Black-majority districts established through redistricting following the 2020 census. Supporters of the redrawn map had argued it complied with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which is designed to prevent lawmakers from either concentrating racial minorities in a limited number of districts or dispersing them across many districts to dilute their voting power.

The decision represents a major reinterpretation of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was enacted to limit racial discrimination in voting. The Supreme Court previously dealt the act a significant blow in 2013 when it struck down a core provision of the legislation.

The ruling is set to benefit Republicans as the nation heads toward midterm elections scheduled for November. The decision comes amid a broader national battle over congressional redistricting ahead of those elections.