Supreme Court Case Threatens Voting Rights in Louisiana

Ruling in Louisiana v. Callais could roll back decades of progress and empower gerrymandering to dilute Black political power

Feb. 5, 2026 at 4:23pm

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The U.S. Supreme Court is deliberating a case, Louisiana v. Callais, that could gut Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the central provision that has protected minority voters from discriminatory maps and election systems for 60 years. If the court rules in favor of the state, it would open the door for Louisiana to redraw congressional and state legislative districts in ways that weaken Black political representation, consolidate Republican control of the courts, and allow local governments to revive Jim Crow-era voting systems that disenfranchise Black voters.

Why it matters

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 effectively ended the Jim Crow era, codifying voting rights and political representation for Black people and other marginalized races in Louisiana and other Deep South states. This impending Supreme Court ruling could deal a devastating blow to the generations-long fight for racial and class equality in a state that has arguably never achieved it, potentially rolling back voting rights to the pre-civil rights movement era.

The details

Louisiana's only two Black-majority congressional districts could disappear, at least 23 of Louisiana's 40 Black-majority legislative seats could be eliminated, and lawmakers could redraw judicial districts to weaken the electoral prospects of Black judges. Without Voting Rights Act protections, cities and parishes could also return to at-large elections, a tool historically used to neutralize Black political power.

  • The U.S. Supreme Court re-argued the Louisiana v. Callais case in October 2025.
  • The Supreme Court's decision is expected in the coming months.

The players

John Roberts

Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, whose record suggests he may be the decisive vote in gutting the Voting Rights Act.

Jeff Landry

Governor of Louisiana, who has publicly supported eliminating one or both of the state's Black-majority congressional districts.

Liz Murrill

Attorney General of Louisiana, who is leading the charge against the Voting Rights Act in the federal courts.

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What’s next

Civil rights leaders are working to prepare for a legal landscape without federal protection, including efforts to write a state-level Voting Rights Act in Louisiana and other Deep South states.

The takeaway

This Supreme Court case represents a critical moment in the ongoing fight for racial and political equality in Louisiana. The potential rollback of the Voting Rights Act could have devastating consequences, undoing decades of progress and empowering a return to Jim Crow-era disenfranchisement of Black voters.