If the Voting Rights Act Falls

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This week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Louisiana v. Callais about the last remaining section of the Voting Rights Act, a civil-rights law designed to ensure that states could not get in the way of nonwhite citizens voting. The law was put in place to reverse Jim Crow–era policies that kept Black people out of southern politics. Over the decades, it expanded to protect Spanish speakers, Native Americans, disabled people, and minority voters all over the country.

The decision will likely hinge on Chief Justice John Roberts, who has been dubious about the Voting Rights Act for years. Based on the oral arguments, most court watchers concluded that the majority of justices were “skeptical” of the alread