The Voting Rights Act, signed in 1965 by President Lyndon. B Johnson enforced the 15th Amendment that prohibited denying U.S. citizens the right to vote 95 years after its ratification. Before the act, African Americans continuously struggled to vote due to poll taxes, literacy tests and other unnecessary restrictions put in place to prevent Black citizens from voting. The act continually protected citizens across the country for years, but for the past decade, the Voting Rights Act has started to shift into a topic of debate, as evident in previous cases such as Allen v Milligan in 2023.
On October 15th, the Supreme Court heard the case Louisiana v. Callais. A group of voters argued that congressional district maps relied too heavily on race, opposing the constitutional rights of equal protection by denying votes on the basis of race. Depending on the outcome of the case, Louisiana v. Callais could dismantle the act entirely by barring Louisiana and other states from considering the racial makeup of voting populations while redistricting. In turn, this case holds massive potential to change the course of next year’s midterm elections. If adopted, Supreme Court Justices could reverse decades of court decisions that provided voices for minority voters. Thus, if the ruling passes through, Republicans could hold an advantage in Congressional seats.
“I hope that this case doesn’t pass; it’s clearly being racist and [shows] how Republicans want minorities to be suppressed even further, which is horrible. This act is literally so stupid, it’s obviously so Republicans can gain more [seats] to further get people on their side [with] their views so they can do what they want. If people get their votes taken away, [it] literally violates the Constitution. [I think] it will cause even more protests and drama in the U.S.,” magnet sophomore Alan Slivano said.
The case stems from Trump’s unusual plans to convince various states, such as Texas and North Carolina, to redraw districts for Republicans to gain additional seats within the House of Representatives. A destruction of the Voting Rights Act would bear drastic effects, especially in southern states where Republicans dominate in Congressional seats and governor positions.
The Supreme Court expects to approach a decision in a couple of months, leaving people around the country feeling anxious about the future the case will prompt. Voting rights groups Black Voters Trust Fund and Fair Fight Action infer that removing the Voting Rights Act would allow for Republicans to redraw 19 congressional districts throughout the country, which could create an unfair advantage during elections through Gerrymandering. The Voting Rights Act protects racial minorities by providing the chance for communities of color to elect officials who look out for their interests. Without the Act, who holds an impact in elections could shift extremely.
“[Louisiana v. Callais] shows we are completely disregarding history as a whole, and we are eventually going to be repeating the same mistakes we have made as a country. I feel like it’s going to [give] White people a majority to have more of a say in voting. No good can come from a ruling like that. It’s not protecting the rights of citizens who have been stripped of their rights previously,” sophomore Gabino Chavez said.
