The court majority did not take that position, but its decision will make it significantly more difficult to successfully challenge legislative maps for diluting the voting power of racial minorities.
To prove a violation, Alito wrote, litigants will have to prove that legislators intentionally drew the maps to provide less opportunity to racial minority voters.
“The court’s decision will set back the foundational right Congress granted of racial equality in electoral opportunity,” Justice Elena Kagan wrote in her dissenting opinion.
The fight over voting maps has grown fierce in the last year, as Democrats and Republicans seek to carve out districts that could help them win congressional majorities.
The White House celebrated the ruling, calling it a “complete and total victory for American voters”.
“The color of one’s skin should not dictate which congressional district you belong in. We commend the court for putting an end to the unconstitutional abuse of the Voting Rights Act and protecting civil rights,” spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told BBC partner CBS.
Florida is currently in the process of redrawing its legislative maps in an effort to net Republicans more seats in the House of Representatives. This decision could allow the state to further disadvantage incumbent Democrats who represented districts with large minority populations.
Other Republican states, such as Tennessee and Mississippi, could also redraw their maps in the weeks ahead.
