Abusing the Voting Rights Act: Thanks to the Obama Justice Department, redistricting may touch...

Abusing the Voting Rights ActThanks to the Obama Justice Department, redistricting may touch off contentious court battles over the rule of law. The redistricting process for congressional and state-legislative seats will soon begin in earnest. All redistricting plans must meet the “one person, one vote� equal-protection standard established by the Supreme Court, which means that districts are supposed to be as even in population as possible. But redistricting also must comply with the Voting Rights Act, and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division just released its new “Guidance Concerning Redistricting Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.� This guidance...