WASHINGTON, D.C.
— Today, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Louisiana v. Callais that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which helped to end Jim Crow and expand political opportunity for racial minorities, forbids only intentional racial discrimination and does not cover politically motivated redistricting efforts that have the effect of diluting the votingpower of minority populations. This ruling further erodes protections for voters of color across the country, who will often be unable to present the smoking-gun evidence of intentional race discrimination that the Court’s opinion appears to demand. Declaration for American Democracy Coalition Co-Directors Allison Pulliam and Christine Wood issued the following statement:
“America’s founding was centered on a guaranteed representation for all of its citizens, but time and time again racism and a thirst for power have superseded that democratic principle. Today’s decision harkens back to the worst tendencies in our history, as yet another attack on the rights of voters and yet another attempt to silence Black and Brown voices. In pretending that racial discrimination no longer exists, the Court opens the door for the adoption of de facto racial gerrymandering that will discriminate against voters of color and further dismantle our free and fair elections.
“This ruling only exacerbates the barriers voters of color experience in every election and further
erodes the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Combined with Republicans’ mid-decade map rigging, the
gutting of Section 2 could help secure 19 more, safe Republican U.S. House seats.”
