Supreme Court Upholds Equitable Democracy

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in Allen v. Milligan affirming Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The case centered on a voting map in Alabama that was struck down by a unanimous 3-judge court for diluting Black Alabamians’ voting strength and restricting their ability to elect their preferred representative. In response, Paul Smith, senior vice president at Campaign Legal Center (CLC), issued the following statement:

“Today, the Supreme Court upheld the voting rights of Black Alabamians and prevented politicians from using unfair voting maps to drown out Black voices.

Black Alabamians deserve to have a say in the issues that impact their lives. When self-interested politicians draw maps that suit their own needs instead of the needs of their community, our democracy becomes less inclusive and accountable.

We are heartened that the Supreme Court upheld Section 2 of the VRA, one of the most important tools available to ensure every voter, particularly Black and brown voters who have historically been denied the freedom to vote, has an equal voice in our democracy.

While this ruling is a step in the right direction, we will continue to fight tirelessly alongside our local allies in Alabama and across the country to challenge racially discriminatory voting maps in court and develop innovative policy solutions that protect and expand the freedom to vote for every American.”

Campaign Legal Center has been involved in several lawsuits challenging racial vote dilution in voting maps. In July 2022, Campaign Legal Center filed a friend-of-the-court brief in Allen v. Milligan arguing that Alabama’s attacks on Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act were unfounded. The brief offered several remedies the state of Alabama could have taken that did not dilute Black voices while still satisfying Alabama’s other policy priorities.