5th Circuit Limits Voting Rights Act Scope

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that minority groups cannot join together to claim that redistricting maps are discriminatory under the Voting Rights Act. This 12-6 decision overturns decades of precedent allowing such coalition claims, specifically impacting Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The case originated from Galveston County, Texas, where Black and Latino voters had sued after the county dismantled a district where minorities made up the majority. Judge Edith Jones, writing for the majority, argued that the Voting Rights Act does not explicitly permit coalition claims, a view contested by six dissenting judges who fear the ruling undermines the effectiveness of the Act. The decision is likely to be appealed to the Supreme Court. The ruling has received significant criticism from voting rights advocates and dissenting judges, who see it as a setback for minority voting rights.