Supreme Court Appears Skeptical of Key Provision of Voting Rights Act [View all]

[RandySF]

The Supreme Court appeared poised on Wednesday to weaken a key provision of a landmark civil rights law by sharply limiting the ability of lawmakers to use race as a factor in drawing voting maps, which could lead to widespread redistricting efforts.

If the justices determine that lawmakers cannot consider race when drawing districts, the consequences for the country’s political balance could be sweeping. The decision could end the practice, endorsed by the court for decades, of crafting congressional districts with the purpose of helping minority voters elect the candidates of their choice.

Republican state legislatures could use the ruling to eliminate around a dozen Democratic-held House districts across the South, according to a New York Times analysis.

The court typically issues major rulings by late June or early July, but could rule more quickly in the voting case. It is not clear if states could act in time for the 2026 midterm elections, should the justices agree to upend the Voting Rights Act of 1965.


https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/us/politics/supreme-court-voting-rights-act.html