Supreme Court Hears Argument on Louisiana Redistricting Map
Louisiana's redistricting fight has reached the U.S. Supreme Court, focusing on a 40-year-old issue: whether the Voting Rights Act permits election maps that account for race to remedy vote dilution.
The justices discussed the 1986 decision Thornburg v. Gingles, which created a test to determine when minority voters are denied an equal chance to elect their candidates of choice.
- Louisiana questioned the application of this test and urged the court to abandon it.
- Civil-rights advocates argued that Louisiana's politics show extreme racial polarization, with mapmakers "packing and cracking" Black voters, leaving them with less electoral opportunity than white voters.
The case revolves around the Voting Rights Act and its role in ensuring equal electoral opportunities for minority voters.
Author's summary: Supreme Court reviews Louisiana redistricting map.