New Voting Maps in the Southern United States

May 14, 2026, 21:55
USPolitics

Introduction

Some states in the South are changing their voting maps. They want more Republican leaders to win.

Main Body

In Tennessee and Louisiana, leaders changed the maps. These changes make it harder for Black people to vote for their leaders. In Louisiana, the state stopped an election. Because of this, 45,000 votes did not count. In South Carolina, some Republican leaders disagreed. One leader said a total win for his party was a bad idea. He wanted to keep the maps safe and legal. Other states like Virginia and Mississippi also have map problems. Now, most elections are not close. This means the voters have less power to change the result.

Conclusion

Many states are changing their maps. Now, lawyers are fighting in court about these new rules.

Learning

💡 The Power of "Make"

In the text, we see a very useful pattern: Make + Person + Adjective.

  • "These changes make it harder..."

Instead of saying "The result is hard," we use make to show that one thing causes a change in another.

How to use it in daily life:

  • This coffee →\rightarrow makes me happy.
  • The loud noise →\rightarrow makes him nervous.
  • Studying English →\rightarrow makes you smart.

🗺️ Word Connections

Look at these word pairs from the story to build your A2 vocabulary:

Word AWord BMeaning in this story
VotingMapsThe lines that decide who votes where
CourtLawyersThe place and the people who argue about rules
TotalWinWhen one side gets everything

Vocabulary Learning

states
political regions within a country
Example:Many states are changing their maps.
south
direction or region to the lower part
Example:The South has many different states.
changing
making something different
Example:They are changing the voting maps.
maps
drawings that show land areas
Example:The new maps are controversial.
voting
the act of choosing a leader
Example:Voting is an important right.
leaders
people who guide or direct others
Example:Leaders decide policies.
win
to be successful in a contest
Example:They want to win the election.
harder
more difficult
Example:The changes make it harder to vote.
people
human beings in general
Example:People need to vote.
vote
to express a choice in an election
Example:You should vote for your preferred candidate.
election
a process to choose leaders
Example:The election was postponed.
votes
individual ballots cast in an election
Example:45,000 votes were not counted.
count
to add up numbers
Example:The votes were counted.
disagreed
to have a different opinion
Example:The leaders disagreed on the map.
total
completely or entirely
Example:A total win would be bad.
bad
not good
Example:A bad idea for the party.
idea
a thought or suggestion
Example:That idea was rejected.
keep
to maintain or preserve
Example:He wanted to keep the maps safe.
safe
protected from harm
Example:The maps should be safe.
legal
following the law
Example:The maps must be legal.
problems
issues or difficulties
Example:There are map problems.
close
near or near in number
Example:Elections are not close.
power
ability to influence
Example:Voters have less power.
result
the outcome of an event
Example:The result could change.
lawyers
people who practice law
Example:Lawyers are fighting in court.
court
place where legal cases are decided
Example:The case is in court.
rules
guidelines or regulations
Example:New rules affect elections.