Louisiana v. Callais · ¶158

In that settled view, a paradigmatic case of a Section 2 violation is the cracked-circle hypothetical opening this dissent. See supra, at 127–128. If you refresh your memory, you'll instantly see why. The Black electorate could form— indeed, did form—a reasonably confgured district: The circle in the middle of the State complies with traditional districting criteria of contiguity, compactness, and respect for political subdivisions. So Gingles's first precondition is met. And the racially polarized voting in the State ensures that the second and third are met as well. The Black electorate within the circle and the White population surrounding it vote as blocs and for different candidates. So when the Black voters are dispersed among six predominantly White districts, they lose all their electoral infuence. Or, as we recently described such a situation: Black voters have “the potential…

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