Supreme Court Reargues Louisiana v. Callais, Threatens Voting Rights Act

The Supreme Court heard rare second-round oral arguments in Louisiana v. Callais, a case that could fundamentally weaken or eliminate Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The case questions whether Louisiana’s creation of a second majority-Black congressional district (which elected Rep. Cleo Fields) violates the Fourteenth or Fifteenth Amendments by intentionally considering race in redistricting.

During arguments, the conservative majority appeared open to severely restricting states’ ability to remedy racial vote dilution, with some justices suggesting that efforts to comply with the Voting Rights Act might themselves be unconstitutional. The Court originally heard arguments in March 2025 but took the extraordinary step of ordering reargument for October, asking parties to address whether Section 2 compliance violates equal protection.

Civil rights advocates warned that a ruling against Louisiana could allow Republicans to eliminate minority-majority districts nationwide, potentially costing Democrats up to 19 congressional seats according to redistricting analyses. The case represents the Court’s continued assault on voting rights following Shelby County (2013) and Brnovich (2021), with oral arguments suggesting the conservative supermajority is prepared to further gut the landmark civil rights law. A decision is expected by June 2026.