Elections

April 30, 2026

A look at legislation
More states consider state-level voting rights acts

By M. Mindy Moretti
electionline.org

On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Louisiana v Callis, further eroding the Voting Rights Act signed into law in 1965. 

In a 37-page opinion, the majority held that “because the Voting Rights Act did not require Louisiana to create an additional majority-minority district, no compelling interest justified the state’s use of race in creating SB8, and that map is an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.”

As Congress and the courts continue to chip away at the Voting Rights Act, more and more states are implementing or considering state-level voting rights acts. 

“The ruling also means that state-level Voting Rights Acts are an increasingly important backstop and gap-filler for protecting fair representation,” said Michael McNulty, policy director with IssueOne. “However, state VRAs can’t fully substitute for strong federal protections, as they leave us with a patchwork of uneven coverage and protections across states.”