Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act requires states to create districts where minority representation is proportional to the minority population.

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Section 2 prohibits voting practices that result in vote dilution, but it doesn't require proportional representation. The distinction matters: if a state is 30% Black, Section 2 doesn't mandate that 30% of districts elect Black representatives. Instead, it prohibits cracking (splitting Black communities across districts to prevent majorities anywhere) and packing (concentrating Black voters into fewer districts than demographics warrant to minimize their influence). Courts apply the three-prong Gingles test to determine if dilution occurred, examining whether the minority group is geographically compact, politically cohesive, and faces racial bloc voting by the white majority that usually defeats minority-preferred candidates.

Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act requires states to create districts where minority representation is proportional to the minority population.

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