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Action Urged After Louisiana v. Callais

By May 5, 2026No Comments

Following SCOTUS decision, JACL says
verify voting status, demands passage of Lewis voting act.

By P.C. Staff

In the aftermath of April 29’s 6-3 Supreme Court Louisiana v. Callais decision that called illegal the congressional district map that Louisiana lawmakers used to create a new majority-African American district and, according to JACL, limited “application of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act,” the civil rights organization issued a statement calling on Congress to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and urged everyone to verify their “voter registration status and register to vote.”

On May 4, JACL stated: “Under the decision, voters’ power to challenge discriminatory district maps and voting laws is severely weakened, as it allows states to justify discrimination by citing partisan motives.” Citing an Associated Press article (tinyurl.com/ymhcckba), it further said, “We are already seeing in real time how this decision is impacting elections. In response to the decision, the state of Louisiana has suspended its upcoming primary election, where early voting was set to begin this Saturday.”

The entire JACL statement may be read here. See related story here