••
A pair of court decisions - a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that eviscerated protections for majority-Black districts, and a Virginia Supreme Court decision overturning a Democratic-backed map in that state - have given Republicans a decided advantage.

A speaker addresses protesters at a rally over voting rights and redistricting outside the state capitol in Montgomery, Alabama, U.S. May 4, 2026.
Credit: REUTERS/Jayla Whitfield-Anderson