Code Switch Voting rights are at risk. Here's why.
Oct 8, 2025
Carol Anderson, a historian and professor of African-American studies, dives deep into the ongoing threats to voting rights. She reveals how recent Supreme Court rulings have weakened the Voting Rights Act, enabling partisan gerrymandering and voter suppression tactics. Anderson highlights the historical context of disenfranchisement, from Reconstruction to modern voter ID laws that disproportionately affect communities of color. She also emphasizes the importance of public mobilization and civic engagement as vital tools for reversing these troubling trends.
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Gerrymandering Got A Judicial Green Light
- The Supreme Court ruling in Rucho v. Common Cause removed federal court oversight of partisan gerrymandering.
- That decision opened the door for states like Texas to redraw maps that advantage one party without federal remedy.
Texas Redraws Cost Jobs In Congress
- In Texas this summer, Republicans redrew maps at President Trump's direction to break up Democratic districts.
- The changes targeted districts made up mostly of Latino and Black voters to potentially gain five congressional seats.
Institutions Compound Minority Rule
- Structural features of U.S. institutions amplify minority rule across Senate, House, and Electoral College.
- Redistricting and overrepresentation of small states can produce long-term conservative control disproportionate to population.
