By Jackie Belliveau, Online Editor |

“Gutted.” “A dead letter.” “Destroyed.” These are the words being used to describe the Voting Rights Act (VRA) following the Supreme Court’s recent 6-3 decision in Louisiana v. Callais. The case, involving a group of voters who claimed that the creation of a majority-Black district was an impermissible constitutional gerrymander, concluded that maps can no longer be challenged on racial grounds, as long as the mapmakers claim that they were drawn strictly for the benefit of one party and not for racial discrimination. 

While partisan gerrymandering has always been a feature of American politics, this ruling makes it substantially more difficult to prove violations of Section 2 of the VRA; plaintiffs must now show there is discriminatory intent in redistricting, not just discriminatory effects, which are easier to defend. In practice, this means that heavily partisan gerrymandering can quickly turn into racial gerrymandering. In Louisiana, the new maps significantly dilute Black voting power, a demographic that tends to lean Democrat. Justice Kagan wrote that “assuming the State has left behind no…evidence of a race-based motive (an almost fanciful prospect), Section 2 will play no role,” leaving minority voters with little real ability to challenge racially discriminatory maps.

Louisiana v. Callais also reflects a broader partisan redistricting battle between parties that is undermining American democracy. In 2025, President Trump requested that Texas redraw their Congressional maps to acquire five new Republican House seats, creating a domino effect of tit-for-tat redistricting between Democrats and Republicans from California to Missouri. When asked for her opinion on this recent slew of partisan redistricting, Emma Roffman ‘27 said, “We learn in school that in history it’s just one political party that’s doing gerrymandering, especially in the South,” but that today we need to acknowledge “both parties are doing it and it’s not okay to accept one party’s decision to gerrymander. It’s bad for everyone,” regardless of political affiliation. Fiona Wert ‘27 agreed, saying that “gerrymandering keeps voters from letting their voices be heard in the election process, no matter what ideology or candidate they support.”  The monstrous Gerry-mander undermines voter efficacy, and it is high time we exterminate it once and for all.

Source: The Southern Poverty Law Center