John,
Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court released decisions in two important voting rights cases, Allen v. Milligan and Moore v. Harper. The court has also ruled on other critical cases that impact our rights as citizens, including Students for Fair Admission v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admission v. University of North Carolina, Biden v. Nebraska, and 303 Creative v. Elenis.
When We All Vote is here to break down what some of the recent Supreme Court rulings mean and the impact on voters moving forward:
⚖️ What is Allen v. Milligan? ⚖️
Allen v. Milligan challenged Alabama’s 2021 congressional map, which had just one majority-Black district out of seven. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of voters and nonprofit organizations who believed the Alabama map reduced the voting strength of Black Alabamians in a state whose population is about 27% Black.
On Thursday, June 8, the Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision that upheld Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and affirmed a lower court’s order that Alabama would likely need to redraw the state's congressional map to allow an additional Black majority district.
⚖️ What happens next with Allen v. Milligan? ⚖️
Allen v. Milligan leaves Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act intact. This decision will allow future cases to continue challenging other racially discriminatory maps in court. The majority of ongoing cases are in southern states such as Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, all of which share histories of enacting racially discriminatory electoral maps.
⚖️ What is Moore v. Harper? ⚖️
In Moore v. Harper, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether the North Carolina Supreme Court had the power to strike down the illegally gerrymandered congressional map for violating the North Carolina Constitution. North Carolina argued that the ‘independent state legislature theory’ rendered the state courts and state constitution powerless in matters relating to federal elections.
⚖️ What did the U.S. Supreme Court rule in Moore v. Harper? ⚖️
In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court rejected the independent state legislature theory, which would have given state legislatures largely unchecked power to set rules for federal elections and radically shaped how elections are conducted.
⚖️ How do these decisions impact me? ⚖️
These decisions are a critical win for our democracy, and they have nationwide implications. They will impact redistricting in states and affect how voters cast their ballots. Voting is the investment that we make every year for our community and our future — and these cases are a step forward in making sure every American can make their voice heard and their vote counted, especially those who have been historically discriminated against in our political process.
⚖️ What else has the U.S. Supreme Court been up to? ⚖️
While we celebrate the victories on voting rights, the Supreme Court also issued rulings last week that impact our rights as citizens and access to opportunity. The Court ruled on three other significant topics: affirmative action (Students for Fair Admission v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admission v. University of North Carolina), student loans (Biden v. Nebraska), and LGBTQ+ rights (303 Creative v. Elenis). These decisions have reversed decades of precedent and dismantled a critical tool used to fight discrimination, blocked the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness program, and provided businesses a far-reaching and dangerous license to discriminate.
John, our democracy is still under attack, and Supreme Court decisions like these are directly impacted by your vote. When you cast a ballot for the President or your senators, you are choosing the public officials who will nominate and confirm the next Supreme Court justices.
One way you can make a difference is by checking your voter registration and reminding a friend to do the same. >>>
Because for democracy to work for all of us, it must include all of us.
— Team When We All Vote
