Cite as: 512 U. S. 997 (1994)
Opinion of the Court
question whether the first Gingles condition can be satisfied by proof that a so-called influence district may be created (that is, by proof that plaintiffs can devise an additional district in which members of a minority group are a minority of the voters, but a potentially influential one). As in the past, we will assume without deciding that even if Hispanics are not an absolute majority of the relevant population in the additional districts, the first Gingles condition has been satisfied in these cases. See Voinovich, supra, at 154; see also Growe, supra, at 41-42, n. 5 (declining to reach the issue); Gingles, supra, at 46-47, n. 12 (same).
B
We do, however, part company from the District Court in assessing the totality of circumstances. The District Court found that the three Gingles preconditions were satisfied, and that Hispanics had suffered historically from official discrimination, the social, economic, and political effects of which they generally continued to feel, 815 F. Supp., at 1573- 1574. Without more, and on the apparent assumption that what could have been done to create additional Hispanic supermajority districts should have been done, the District Court found a violation of § 2. But the assumption was erroneous, and more is required, as a review of Gingles will show.
1
Thornburg v. Gingles, 478 U. S. 30 (1986), prompted this Court's first reading of § 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 after its 1982 amendment.8 Section 2(a) of the amended Act prohibits any "standard, practice, or procedure . . . which results in a denial or abridgement of the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color [or
8 Congress amended the statute to reach cases in which discriminatory intent is not identified, adding new language designed to codify White v. Regester, 412 U. S. 755, 766 (1973). S. Rep. No. 97-417, p. 2 (1982) (hereinafter Senate Report).
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