As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to rehear a pivotal case that could drastically weaken the Voting Rights Act, Democratic-aligned voting rights groups are raising alarms about the potentially seismic impact on minority representation and the balance of power in Congress.
The case, Louisiana v. Callais, scheduled for rehearing on October 15, challenges the constitutionality of Section 2 of the landmark civil rights-era law, which prohibits racial gerrymandering that dilutes the voting power of minority communities.
In a new report, Fair Fight Action and the Black Voters Matter Fund concluded that Republicans could redraw as many as 19 congressional districts to favor their party if the court strikes down Section 2.Ā
The report identifies 27 congressional seats that could be reshaped through redistricting in time for future elections with 19 of them hinging on the outcome of Section 2 in the case.
āGutting Section 2 would be nothing short of catastrophic for communities of color,ā said Cliff Albright, co-founder of Black Voters Matter. āIt would turn back the clock on decades of hard-fought progress.ā
Although a final decision is not likely to arrive before the 2026 midterms, the report warns that a ruling before then is still possible, which could lead to state legislatures rushing to redraw political maps.
