The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has ruled that the Voting Rights Act does not permit claims for minority-coalition districts under Section 2, reversing earlier precedents. This decision, which affects Black and Hispanic voters in three southern states—Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas—makes it harder for these groups to form coalitions to elect candidates they prefer. The ruling, which came from a divided court, overrules long-standing precedents and asserts that distinct minority groups cannot join together to claim vote dilution in redistricting cases. The case specifically involved a lawsuit from Galveston County.