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Supreme Court Posts Final Opinions, R Numbers Reveal VRA Narrowing

6/23/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Supreme Court justices posted the day’s final opinions on the website, identified by R numbers.
R numbers, shown left of the opinion date, indicate the order of appearance in the official U.S. Reports.
Because justices announce opinions in reverse seniority, the court assigns R numbers after all opinions for that day are posted.
The term’s only reargued case, Louisiana v. Callais, narrowed a major provision of the Voting Rights Act.

History

Historical Context

The 1965 Voting Rights Act required preclearance for jurisdictions with historic discrimination. On June 25 2013 the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling in Shelby County v. Holder, authored by Chief Justice Roberts, struck down Section 4(b), ending preclearance for 28 Southern jurisdictions and affecting roughly 3 million voters. The Court’s 2026 decision in Louisiana v. Callais continues that trend, prompting fresh legislative battles.

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Story summary

Supreme Court justices posted the day’s final opinions on the website, identified by R numbers.
R numbers, shown left of the opinion date, indicate the order of appearance in the official U.S. Reports.
Because justices announce opinions in reverse seniority, the court assigns R numbers after all opinions for that day are posted.
The term’s only reargued case, Louisiana v. Callais, narrowed a major provision of the Voting Rights Act.

1 / 2