Supreme Court's voting rights decision could erase Black representation across the ballot

[marmar]

Supreme Court’s voting rights decision could erase Black representation across the ballot
Local elections are where the Callais decision could be felt most

By Russell Payne
Staff Reporter
Published May 16, 2026 6:30AM (EDT)


(Salon) The recent Supreme Court decision on the Voting Rights Act has kicked off another wave of partisan gerrymandering across the South — yet the ruling’s implications for the representation of minority voters and the democratic responsiveness of state and local governments have largely flown under the radar. In the long run, however, these effects may prove just as consequential, as the Supreme Court has paved the way for state governments to entrench their power and lock minority communities out of representation in their government.

The effects of Louisiana v. Callais are still rippling across the country, as Republican-run states across the South suspend elections in order to redraw maps and eliminate minority majority districts in their states, giving themselves a buffer for the midterms.

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This has already kicked off a wave of gerrymandering for congressional district maps just before the midterms, but importantly, Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act also governs the rules for drawing state legislative districts, as well as districts used in local elections. This means that the representation of minority voters, especially Black Americans, is potentially on the chopping block.

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Amir Badat, the manager of Black Voters on the Rise and voting special counsel at the Legal Defense Fund, told Salon that he expects the ruling to “decimate” Black political power in the South — and not only in state legislatures, but just as importantly, in local governments. ....................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2026/05/16/supreme-courts-voting-rights-decision-could-erase-black-representation-across-the-ballot/

[MichMan]

1. Perhaps the DNC can persuade current incumbents to step aside to make room for those whose were affected