politics
Southern States Redraw Congressional Maps Following Supreme Court Voting Rights Ruling
Tennessee, Louisiana and Alabama have moved to redraw congressional district maps after the US supreme court limited section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The changes are expected to reduce the number of districts where Black voters form a majority. Georgia and Mississippi have chosen not to redraw maps before this year's midterm elections.
May 14, 1:30 PM·2m read1 source
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Several southern states are redrawing congressional maps after the US supreme court curtailed the use of section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The revisions are designed to alter districts that have elected Black Democrats. Tennessee Republicans have enacted a new map that divides the majority-Black city of Memphis into three congressional districts.
The change eliminates the state's only district currently represented by a Democrat. Louisiana is preparing to implement a new map that would remove one of the two districts held by Black Democrats in Congress. The state canceled its primary elections after more than 42,000 ballots had been cast.
"Those ballots are discarded and those voters will vote again in November," Landry said during an interview on 60 Minutes. " Alabama has received supreme court approval to use a map that a lower court previously ruled was drawn to discriminate against Black voters.
The state will employ that map for the current election cycle. Republican lawmakers had earlier declined to advance such a plan.
Georgia and Mississippi have decided against redrawing maps before the 2026 midterm elections but are expected to consider changes ahead of the 2028 elections. Texas, Missouri, Florida and North Carolina, which previously adjusted maps to add Republican-leaning districts, could redraw again before 2028.
The Congressional Black Caucus, which currently has 58 members, is preparing for possible losses in southern states. Civil rights groups have filed legal challenges. The American Civil Liberties Union sued Tennessee over its new map this week, arguing it violates the Constitution.
