The Supreme Court on Monday lifted its freeze on a Louisiana dispute over whether the state’s congressional map weakens Black voting power, sending the case back to a lower court.
In a brief order the Supreme Court’s decision allows a federal appeals court in Louisiana to consider the case, which could potentially force the state to redraw congressional districts in a way that would give Black voters an opportunity to elect a preferred candidate in two of the state’s six congressional districts.
The decision follows a case earlier in the month where the Court ruled 5-4 that Alabama redraw its congressional map to add a second Black-majority district.
About one-third of Louisiana’s residents are Black. More than one-fourth of Alabama residents are Black.
The Supreme Court had put the Louisiana case on hold and allowed a challenged map to be used in the 2022 midterm elections after the Justices agreed to hear the Alabama case.
Separately, the case has been appealed to the conservative 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Louisiana, which the Supreme Court said could go forward in advance of next year’s Presidential election.
In 2020 President Trump (R) won Louisiana’s eight electoral college votes, defeating now-President Joe Biden (D) in that state by 58.5% to 39.9%.
