Takeaways from the Supreme Court’s historic Voting Rights Act opinion and what’s next for the midterms | CNN Politics

The Supreme Court on Wednesday kicked yet another leg out from under the Voting Rights Act, the landmark 1965 civil rights law that Chief Justice John Roberts’ court has repeatedly undermined over the years. Wednesday’s opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito with the dissent from the court’s three liberals, will make it much harder for voters of color to challenge redistricting plans that allegedly dilute the political power of minority communities. The ruling will bring about major changes to political representation at all levels of government in future elections, starting in earnest in 2028. Many states will either choose to make changes to legislative boundaries or be forced by courts to redraw districts that currently guarantee the ability of minority voters to elect the candidate of their choice. State legislatures controlled by Republicans could opt to eliminate a slew of Democratic-held seats, particularly across the South, in an effort to cement the GOP’s hold on the US House. However, the decision’s impact on the 2026 midterm elections could be limited given the practical and legal hurdles to redrawing legislative plans at this point in the electoral cycle. In