A federal appeals court recently ruled voters in two different minority groups cannot coalesce to claim a Texas political map stripped their voting power, a decision that could give Republicans a boost to win congressional seats in the South.

The court’s Aug. 1 decision curtails what conservative critics argue is the Democrats’ misuse of the Voting Rights Act to create voting districts favoring their party in Galveston, Texas. This ruling could reshape the political landscape not just in the Lone Star State but also in Louisiana and Mississippi, states within the jurisdiction of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals — possibly shifting numerous seats from Democrat to Republican.