|
BROOKLYN, NY – Brooklyn Democratic Party expresses deep disappointment with the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent emergency order fast‑tracking the implementation of its decision in Louisiana v. Callais (2026), a move that accelerates the weakening of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The emergency order, issued in early May, made the Court’s April ruling effective immediately, bypassing the usual waiting period and clearing the way for rapid redistricting ahead of upcoming elections.
That underlying Supreme Court decision struck down Louisiana’s congressional map that created a second majority‑Black district and sharply narrowed how Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act may be enforced.
“As a Black woman leading this work in New York, I carry the lived history of communities who fought too hard and sacrificed too much to have their voices diminished again. The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act reflects our state’s commitment to fairness and inclusion, even as others pursue tactics designed to weaken those very principles. We will not retreat from protecting the right to vote, and we will not allow progress to be undone.”
“This emergency order compounds the harm of an already devastating ruling,” said Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair.
“By rushing this decision into effect, the Court has accelerated the erosion of protections that communities have relied on for decades to ensure fair representation.”
Together, the ruling and the emergency order make it far more difficult for voters to challenge electoral maps that dilute minority voting power, continuing a troubling pattern seen in cases such as Shelby County v. Holder and Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee.
In New York, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act remains a critical safeguard, demonstrating that states can and must act to protect voters when federal protections are weakened. The Brooklyn Democratic Party remains committed to defending the fundamental right to vote and advocating for fair and inclusive elections for all.
###
| 
