Representation Stakes
These districts can determine whether minority communities are able to elect candidates who reflect their preferences, shaping who serves in Congress and state legislatures.
In plain English
When minority voters form the majority.
It's a voting district drawn so that a racial or ethnic minority group is the majority of voters inside its boundaries.
Simple example
After the 2020 census, Alabama was ordered in Allen v. Milligan (2023) to draw a second congressional district with a Black majority or near-majority, given that Black residents make up about 27% of the state's population.
Why it matters
What the term actually changes.
Legal Flashpoint
Supporters say they prevent vote dilution in places with racially polarized voting, while critics argue race-based line-drawing raises Equal Protection Clause concerns under the Fourteenth Amendment.
How it works
The mechanics, in practice.
Drawn After Census
State legislatures or independent commissions redraw congressional and legislative maps after each decennial census, deciding whether and where to create majority-minority districts.
Court Oversight
Federal courts can review maps under the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution, and may order states to redraw districts if they find unlawful vote dilution.
Related guide
Should courts require states to draw majority-minority congressional districts?
A look at how the Voting Rights Act, the Equal Protection Clause, and the redistricting process intersect when courts review congressional maps.
Read the guide → Related issue brief
Should courts require states to draw majority-minority congressional districts?
A renewed Supreme Court fight over Alabama's congressional map has revived a decades-old debate over when race may, or must, shape district lines.
Read the brief →You’ve learned the term. Now vote.
Should courts require states to draw majority-minority congressional districts?
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