The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Louisiana v. Callais to reject Louisiana’s newly drawn congressional map, a move that could significantly change how voting rights laws are applied across the country. The case focused on whether the state could create a second majority black congressional district to better reflect its population.

The Court’s majority said the map went too far by relying heavily on race when drawing district lines. In plain terms, the justices argued that while representation matters, race cannot be the primary factor in how districts are designed. That reasoning led them to strike down the map as unconstitutional under equal protection principles.

The decision reshapes how the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is used. Previously, maps could be challenged if they resulted in discrimination against minority voters, even without clear proof of intent. Now, the ruling makes those challenges harder, signaling that courts may require stronger evidence that lawmakers intentionally discriminated.

The immediate impact is uncertainty in Louisiana, where officials may need to redraw district boundaries and could delay upcoming elections. More broadly, the ruling is expected to influence redistricting nationwide, giving states greater leeway while raising concerns among critics that protections for minority voters have been weakened.