Supreme Court’s Louisiana v. Callais Decision Undermines Voting Rights Act Protections

In May 2026 the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 opinion by Justice Samuel Alito, ruled in *Louisiana v. Callais* that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 does not apply to the case. The majority cited a DOJ amicus brief and 2008-2012 turnout data. The decision follows the Court’s 2019 *Rucho v. Common Cause* ruling that partisan gerrymandering claims are beyond federal courts.

The Guardian

Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act was enacted to prevent dilution of Black voting power. Earlier Supreme Court cases, notably *Smith v. Allwright* (1944) and *Brown v. Board of Education* (1954), established voting-rights protections, while *Rucho* limited federal oversight of partisan maps, leaving Section 2 as the primary tool against racial vote dilution until *Callais*.

Colorado Sun

Within days, Tennessee split Memphis—where Black residents exceed 60 percent—into three districts, a “cracking” strategy that dilutes Black influence. Mississippi prepared a redistricting vote in its historic capitol, Louisiana postponed its congressional primary, and Virginia’s Supreme Court struck down a voter-approved Democratic map on procedural grounds while the FBI searched State Senator Louise Lucas’s office.

Colorado Sun

Justice Elena Kagan described Section 2 as effectively nullified. The majority opinion claimed the Voting Rights Act remains intact, a position critics liken to a disassembled car. Democratic leaders have urged Congress to pass a new act banning both racial and partisan gerrymandering, restoring preclearance and requiring independent commissions.

Colorado Sun

Commentators call gerrymandering a “nuclear weapon for democracy” and warn the ruling could revive Jim Crow-era voting conditions. Critics argue any new Voting Rights Act must curb both partisan and racial manipulation, even if it limits maps favored by the incumbent party.

The Guardian

Mississippi’s vote occurred in the former capitol where the 1861 secession vote was cast; Louisiana’s primary was delayed for map revisions; Tennessee’s first post-Callais congressional map was implemented; and Virginia’s Senate leader Louise Lucas faced an FBI raid.

The Guardian

Sources do not provide a nationwide count of altered districts or a detailed post-ruling legal analysis of Section 2, and no federal executive comment is cited.

The Guardian

• “Gerrymandering is a nuclear weapon for democracy.” — Guardian columnist

The Guardian

• “If and when Democrats regain control of Congress, they must pass a new Voting Rights Act immediately.” — Guardian columnist

The Guardian

• “But powerlessness is not helplessness.” — Guardian columnist

The Guardian

The 2026 midterm elections will decide whether Democrats can secure a House majority to pass a new Voting Rights Act. Proposed reforms call for a federal ban on partisan gerrymandering, mandatory independent commissions, and restored preclearance for jurisdictions with histories of discrimination. Legislative action remains the primary path to reverse the *Callais* decision’s impact.

The Guardian