Story perspectives

Supreme Court Halts Mississippi, ND Voting-Rights Lawsuits

5/19/2026

Summary

Story summary

The high court halted two voting-rights lawsuits by remanding them to lower courts on May 18, 2026.
The U.S. Supreme Court sent the Mississippi map case and the North Dakota redistricting case for review after its April Louisiana v. Callais ruling.
The Mississippi Voting Rights Act Rapid Response Coalition warned the remand could enable racially discriminatory maps and threaten voters’ ability to enforce Section 2, which has driven over 96 % of past challenges.

History

Historical Context

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act on August 6, 1965, registering about 250,000 Black voters that year. Congress later added a nationwide ban on literacy tests and a results-test for Section 2 in 1982, shifting challenges to discriminatory effects. In 2026 the Supreme Court remanded redistricting cases, reviving Section 2 battles over minority voting power.

1 of 2

Story summary

The high court halted two voting-rights lawsuits by remanding them to lower courts on May 18, 2026.
The U.S. Supreme Court sent the Mississippi map case and the North Dakota redistricting case for review after its April Louisiana v. Callais ruling.
The Mississippi Voting Rights Act Rapid Response Coalition warned the remand could enable racially discriminatory maps and threaten voters’ ability to enforce Section 2, which has driven over 96 % of past challenges.

1 / 2