Supreme Court Rejects GOP-Drawn Map That Limited Black Districts

The US Supreme Court gave an unexpected boost to the Voting Rights Act, rejecting a Republican-drawn congressional map in Alabama and upholding a decision that requires a second majority Black district.

The 5-4 ruling marks a major turn for a court that twice in the last decade has significantly cut back the landmark law, enacted in 1965 to protect minority rights at the polls. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the three liberal justices in the majority.

Democrats and civil rights activists said the Voting Rights Act’s Section 2 requires a second heavily Black district in a ...