Appeals court ruling could signal more Voting Rights Act overhauls

A federal appeals court recently ruled voters in two different minority groups cannot coalesce to claim a Texas political map stripped their voting power, a decision that could give Republicans a boost to win congressional seats in the South.

The court’s Aug. 1 decision curtails what conservative critics argue is the Democrats’ misuse of the Voting Rights Act to create voting districts favoring their party in Galveston, Texas. This ruling has the potential to reshape the political landscape not just in the Lone Star State but also in Louisiana and Mississippi, states within the jurisdiction of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals — potentially shifting numerous seats from Democrat to Republican.

The case, Petteway v. Galveston County, centered on the interpretation of Section 2 of the VRA, which prohibits voting practices that discriminate based on race or color. The full appeals court concluded that Section 2 does not support coalition claims. These claims involve districts where no single minority group forms a majority but together, different minority groups comprise a voting majority.