Supreme Court Case Threatens the Heart of the Voting Rights Act – Alabama Must Step Up

The Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965 has protected communities of color for 60 years from discriminatory voting laws and legislatures from drawing congressional maps that dilute their vote. But this week, the US Supreme Court heard oral argument in a case that could strip the last remaining piece of the landmark civil rights law — ultimately making it powerless.

Where it All Started

The case, Callais v. Landry originated in Louisiana with a dispute over a new majority-Black voting district, which was created under federal court order to comply with the VRA. The Louisiana legislature had made redistricting changes, after the 2020 Census, drawing a new map with only one district out of six districts representing Black voters’ interests, despite the Black population being one-third of the state.

Black voters and civil rights groups sued the legislature, arguing that Black Louisianans face continued patterns of discrimination in voting and civic life, and the map exacerbated that treatment, unfairly diluting their representation in the state. In 2022, a federal court ruled in their favor, ordering a second majority-Black district.

In 2024, the legislature redrew the state’s voting districts including a second Black district. But white voters then filed suit, arguing that the new map violated their rights under the Constitution and race should not be a factor in creating electoral maps.

What’s at Stake in the Case

Section 2 of the VRA prohibits states from passing voting laws or drawing electoral maps that make it harder for Black or other voters of color to participate or elect their candidate of choice. The law also says that it doesn’t matter if the discrimination is accidental. If a law or map results in voters of color having less power, then it is illegal.

According to news reports, the Supreme Court justices appeared poised to weaken Section 2 of the VRA by limiting lawmakers from using race as a factor in drawing voting maps. If this happens, it will fundamentally change the landscape of voting rights and redistricting in the US with the future of the voting power of people of color hanging in the balance.

A ruling against the Black voters in the Callais case could:

• Strip communities of color of their political power and fair representation at all levels of government, particularly in the South. For example, according to The New York Times, a dozen Democratic-held House districts across the South could be eliminated.
• Chill legislatures nationwide from drawing majority-minority districts
• Make it nearly impossible for voters to challenge discriminatory maps or voting practices
• Open the floodgates to a new era of discriminatory laws that suppress votes—not only of Black Americans, but of any community perceived as a threat to those in power.

Calling on Alabama to Step Up

Foot Soldiers Park is watching the case closely and calls on Alabama to pass its own Voting Rights Act SB7/HB60 to provide robust protections against racial discrimination in voting.

Key parts of the Alabama legislation include:

• Expanding voter access by allowing same-day voter registration, eliminate the need for specific reasons to vote absentee, and streamline the process for restoring voting rights for residents who were formerly incarcerated
• Creating new oversight and protections by requiring local governments with a history of discrimination to prove their voting laws don’t harm voters of color. The law would also establish a commission to investigate potential violations, and outlaw policies that result in disparities in electoral participation.
• Enhancing transparency and data collection by directing the Alabama Secretary of State to create a public statewide database of election and demographic information to foster transparency and evidence-based election administration.

A decision in the Callais case is expected in the coming months.

At Foot Soldiers Park – an organization based in Selma, the birthplace of the VRA and founded by Jo Ann Bland, a foot soldier who walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Bloody Sunday – we are calling on Alabama lawmakers to act now and pass Alabama’s Voting Rights Act to protect the voting power of every Alabaman, regardless of race.

Because protecting voting rights isn’t just about keeping laws in place – it’s about preserving Selma’s legacy and protecting democracy itself.