Johnson v. De Grandy: Mixed Messages On Equal Electoral Opportunity Under Section 2 Of The Voting Rights Act

Johnson v. De Grandy' is Florida's contribution to the burgeoning Supreme Court jurisprudence addressing the redistricting which followed the 1990 Census.2 That round of redistricting has been heavily influenced by Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which Congress amended in 1982 to prohibit election practices that deny minorities an equal opportunity to participate in the political process andelect candidates of their choice to office.3 Because the composition of election districts may have a powerful impact on the ability of racial or ethnic minorities to elect candidates of their choice to office, 4 redistricting is among the practices covered by the anti-dilution principles of Section 2. 5