Supreme Court limits reach of Voting Rights Act

"The Supreme Court limited the reach of the Voting Rights Act today, ruling that there is no duty to draw voting districts that will elect black candidates in areas where blacks are less than a majority."

"In a 5-4 decision, the court said officials need not consider race when drawing districts for state legislatures, county boards, city councils and school districts, so long as blacks do not make up a voting majority in a particular area."

"State lawmakers believed the Voting Rights Act required them to draw districts that would give black candidates a realistic chance of winning."

"But in today's opinion, the court said they had misread the law. It said the law applies "only when a geographically compact group of minority voters could form a majority in a single-member district," Kennedy said."