Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast Did SCOTUS revive Jim Crow districting?
May 4, 2026
Nick Corasaniti, New York Times reporter who covers voting and redistricting, breaks down the Supreme Court’s new voting-rights standard. He explains how an intent requirement could make Section 2 challenges harder. They discuss ties between race and partisan maps, immediate chaos in Louisiana primaries, and states racing to redraw lines ahead of midterms.
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Intent Requirement Dramatically Weakens Section 2
- The Supreme Court raised the legal bar for proving racial vote-dilution by requiring proof of intent for Section 2 claims.
- Nick Corasaniti says this change effectively guts Section 2 because proving intent is far harder than relying on demographic numbers.
Section 2 Was The Last Guardrail Against Racial Maps
- Removing federal oversight of partisan gerrymandering left Section 2 as a remaining guardrail against racial maps.
- Corasaniti explains courts previously used Section 2 to block racial gerrymanders even when states claimed purely partisan motives.
Redraw Maps Before Rerunning Affected Elections
- States must redraw compliant congressional maps before conducting do-over elections for invalidated races.
- Corasaniti notes Louisiana postponed only House races after the ruling because absentee and military ballots had already been cast.