The Supreme Court issued a pair of summary orders on May 18, 2026, vacating lower-court redistricting rulings in Mississippi and North Dakota that had…
The Supreme Court issued a pair of summary orders on May 18, 2026, vacating lower-court redistricting rulings in Mississippi and North Dakota that had required states to redraw congressional and legislative maps under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act [1]. The Court remanded both cases for reconsideration in light of its recent decision in *Callais*, which established a new evidentiary framework for evaluating race-conscious redistricting claims [1]. The orders arrived without full briefing or oral argument, a procedural posture that signals the Court viewed the *Callais* standard as directly controlling [2].
The Mississippi case had compelled state lawmakers to create additional majority-minority districts following findings of vote dilution under VRA Section 2 [1]. The North Dakota case involved a comparable order requiring a redrawn map affecting Native American voting communities [2]. Both rulings originated in federal district courts and had been appealed to the Supreme Court before the *Callais* decision issued [1]. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented in both cases, arguing that the Mississippi appeal had raised only the distinct question of whether private parties possess a right of action to enforce Section 2, a question *Callais* did not resolve [1]. She contended the vacation of the Mississippi ruling was therefore premature and analytically incorrect [2].
The orders carry broad consequences for pending VRA litigation nationwide. *Callais* tightened the showing plaintiffs must make to establish that a map unlawfully dilutes minority voting strength, and courts in multiple states now face remand proceedings under that stricter standard [2]. Maps previously required by judicial order may be reopened. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves separately called a special legislative session on redistricting beginning May 20, positioning the state to act on new maps before any further court order [1]. That session could produce a map the legislature controls rather than one designed under judicial supervision [2].
The practical timeline is compressed. Remand proceedings require lower courts to apply the *Callais* standard to existing factual records or to permit supplemental briefing, and states with pending elections face pressure to resolve map questions before candidate filing deadlines [1]. Jackson's dissent, particularly her argument that the private right of action question remains open, may furnish a litigation path for plaintiffs seeking to preserve Section 2 enforcement regardless of how remand courts apply the new evidentiary standard [2]. Whether courts treat that question as severable from the *Callais* merits framework will define the next phase of VRA litigation across the country.
—
**Meta Description:** The Supreme Court vacated redistricting orders in Mississippi and North Dakota, remanding both for reconsideration under the new *Callais* VRA standard, as Justice Jackson dissented.
**Slug:** scotus-vacates-mississippi-north-dakota-redistricting-callais
**Tags:** Legal News, Court Records Disclosed, Post-Callais Redistricting Orders, United States, Mississippi, North Dakota, Washington DC, Voting Rights, Redistricting, VRA Section 2, U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Gov. Tate Reeves
—
**Metadata:**
– subject: Post-Callais Redistricting Orders, Mississippi and North Dakota
– subject_type: Court Records Disclosed
– date: 2026-05-18
– jurisdiction: federal
– country: United States
– region: Mississippi, North Dakota, District of Columbia
– city: Washington
– key_people: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Gov. Tate Reeves
– key_organizations: U.S. Supreme Court
– themes: Voting Rights, Redistricting, VRA Section 2
– significance: The Supreme Court's summary vacatur orders extend *Callais* nationwide, threatening to unwind judicially mandated majority-minority districts across multiple states and leaving the private right of action under Section 2 unresolved.
—
**References:**
[1] Just The News. (2026, May 18). SCOTUS vacates redistricting rulings in Mississippi, North Dakota. https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/scotus-vacates-redistricting-rulings-mississippi-north-dakota
[2] Washington Examiner. (2026, May 19). Supreme Court tosses racial redistricting rulings in Mississippi and North Dakota. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/supreme-court/4572406/supreme-court-tosses-racial-redistricting-rulings-mississippi-north-dakota/