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On the Docket: Equal Representation in Louisiana

Hi team: as the Deputy Director of Geospatial Analytics at All On The Line, I live and breathe maps.

This isn’t a job I clock in and out of — it’s work that I’m passionate about, because making electoral maps more fair means more voters can make their voices heard.

In college, when I first learned about the power of redistricting, I got to use my Geographic Information System (GIS) skills for a project that showed the effects of prison gerrymandering. Now I get to work with the All On The Line campaign to analyze the fairness of maps and work towards our goal of a truly representative democracy.

So, with the U.S. Supreme Court set to hear oral arguments in a case that centers on Louisiana’s congressional map, I wanted to reach out to give a mapper’s perspective.

See, maps are never neutral documents — they express our basic values and vision for society. When maps create a level playing field for elections, they reflect the fundamental belief that voters should pick their politicians, not the other way around.

The maps at the center of this case tell a story about representation, equality, and the ongoing struggle for justice in our country.

After the 2020 census, which showed that Black Louisianans were about one-third of the state’s population, the legislature passed a congressional map that made Black voters a majority in only one of the state's six congressional districts. The rest of the state’s Black voters were held below 33% in each of the other five districts, where Black Louisianans could not elect a candidate of their choice.

The 2022 map heavily concentrates Black voters into the 2nd District.

Our affiliate supported voters in successfully challenging Louisiana’s gerrymandered congressional map in court, alleging it violated the Voting Rights Act (VRA).

Ultimately, Louisiana was required to put in place a new map that includes two Black opportunity districts and follows the VRA.

In the 2024 map, Congressional Districts 2 and 6 are now both Black opportunity districts.

But shortly afterward, a new lawsuit was filed and a lower court wrongly struck down Louisiana’s VRA-compliant map. The U.S. Supreme Court ordered the fair and representative map to remain in place during the rest of the legal proceedings. As a result, Black Louisianians had the opportunity to elect candidates of their choice in two of the state’s six congressional districts in the 2024 election.

Now, the U.S. Supreme Court will not only determine whether Black Louisianians are able to make their voices heard in a fair congressional map, but the ruling could also impact the future of critical VRA protections. This could have far-reaching consequences for how we evaluate fairness in map-making for years to come.

For those of us who believe in the power of maps to shape society for the better, this case reminds us of our shared responsibility. We must draw lines that reflect our democratic values — ensuring equal representation for all those who have been unjustly denied it.

I’m grateful that you support this work, and I hope you’ll continue to fight back against gerrymandering by supporting All On The Line’s critical work in Louisiana and across the country. → [link removed]

Thanks,
Jess

Jess Weiss
Deputy Director of Geospatial Analytics, All On The Line

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