U.S. Supreme Court conservatives signal potential weakening of the Voting Rights Act, raising concerns over minority voting power in Louisiana.

Washington, USA: Conservative justices of the U.S. Supreme Court appeared willing on Wednesday to undercut a key provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a landmark federal law designed to prevent racial discrimination in voting. The discussions took place during arguments over Louisiana’s electoral districts.

The case centers on Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits voting maps that dilute the influence of minority voters, even without direct proof of racist intent. The section has been crucial in protecting Black voters, especially after a 2013 Supreme Court ruling limited another part of the law.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh noted that race-based remedies are “permissible for a period of time” but should not be indefinite. The case arose after Black voters challenged a Louisiana map that added a second Black-majority congressional district. The state legislature initially created just one Black-majority district after the 2020 census, prompting a lawsuit alleging the map diluted Black voting power.

The Supreme Court, with its 6-3 conservative majority, questioned whether Section 2 allows the creation of race-conscious districts. Liberal justices, including Elena Kagan, warned that weakening Section 2 could have catastrophic consequences for minority representation in the U.S.

Louisiana’s Republican-led state government now argues that race-conscious map-drawing should be prohibited entirely, claiming it relies on “racial stereotypes.” Meanwhile, civil rights advocates warn that dismantling Section 2 would disproportionately benefit Republican lawmakers by allowing them to redraw as many as 19 congressional districts.

The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling by the end of June 2026.