The Supreme Court cleared the way on Monday for Louisiana to draw up a second congressional district with a majority of Black people.

The court paused an earlier ruling which mandated that the state redrew its map. However, the court sat in the dispute while it examined a similar Alabama case.

The court ruled that Alabama’s voting map violated the Voting Right Act because it diluted the power of Black Voters.

The court lifted the pause on Louisiana’s case following that ruling and sent it back to 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Circuit Court of Appeals. This move will likely require the state add a second district with a majority of Black residents.

The order states that “this will allow the matter proceed before the Court of Appeals of the Fifth Circuit in order to be reviewed in the normal course of business and prior to the 2024 Louisiana congressional elections.”

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, vetoed a congressional map that was approved by the GOP-controlled Legislature of the state. The map contained one district with primarily Black residents out of six. The lawmakers overrode the veto.

Two groups of plaintiffs challenged the map at court under Section 2 Voting Rights Act. They claimed that it diminished the power of Black Voters.

In a press release, Abha Khanna said that the Supreme Court had “once again affirmed” the power of Voting Rights to prevent racially-discriminatory redistricting. This time, it was in Louisiana.

Khanna added, “Black voters have lost one election in Louisiana because of a congressional map which unlawfully dilutes the political influence they hold.” “Fortunately, Louisiana is on track to create an additional minority district by 2024. This will ensure that Black Louisianians have fair representation within the state’s delegation.”

A lower court ruled that the state must redraw their map to include a district with a majority of Blacks. Louisiana’s Republican Secretary of State and Attorney General then asked the Supreme Court to intervene and grant an urgent pause on that ruling.

The court overruled the public dissensions of liberal justices Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor, as well as Elena Kagan. This effectively allowed the map to be implemented for the midterm elections in 2022.

The court, however, said that it would hold the case until the justices decided the Alabama dispute. This also involved a similar challenge to a state’s GOP drawn congressional map because it only included one district with a majority of Black residents.

The court watchers predicted that the conservative-leaning justices would reject the Alabama case and, by doing so, limit the Voting Right Act.

When the decision was delivered earlier this month, Chief Justice John Roberts (left) and Justice Brett Kavanaugh (right) joined three liberals in striking down Alabama’s voting map as likely violating the Voting Right Act. The decision was 5-4.

The ruling may not affect the only map.

Alabama’s case gave Democrats hope of recapturing control of the House a boost, as the ruling could have an impact on voting map battles in states like Georgia.