The Supreme Court has requested additional briefings in an ongoing Louisiana redistricting case, focusing on the constitutionality of creating a second majority-Black congressional district. The case, Louisiana v. Callais, sees the state of Louisiana and a group of Black voters in favor of a map developed by the Louisiana Legislature in 2024. This map was in response to a federal district court ruling which suggested that an earlier 2022 map likely breached the Voting Rights Act (VRA) due to having only one majority-Black district.
The 2024 map was challenged by a group of voters identifying as “non-African American,” who argued it was a racial gerrymander. A federal district court concurred with this view, but the Supreme Court’s stay allows the state to use the 2024 map for upcoming elections. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit had previously upheld the lower court’s finding about the 2022 map, requiring a new map to be drawn by January 2024 or face court intervention.
Despite Louisiana’s assertion that its actions are an attempt to balance the VRA requirements and the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause, it has faced criticism. The challenge claims the state prioritised race in the map’s creation, a view opposed by state defense who cited compliance with court orders.
Supreme Court justices have set deadlines for brief submissions: Louisiana and the Black voters must file by August 27, with replies from the “non-African American” litigants due by September 17, and a concluding round of replies from the original plaintiffs by October 3. This instruction comes ahead of scheduled arguments in the 2025-26 term, during which issues related to either the 14th or 15th Amendments could be pivotal. Such issues include whether the state’s actions violate constitutional protections against racial discrimination in voting.
The decision to request further briefs highlights the complexity of resolving tensions between compliance with the VRA and constitutional guarantees of equal protection. Meanwhile, the outcome of this dispute could inform voting map decisions and litigation strategies in other states grappling with similar demographic and political challenges.