A majority of the Supreme Court appeared ready on Monday to allow Louisiana to continue using a congressional voting map that includes two majority-Black districts in the state.

The question before the court: Did Louisiana lawmakers improperly rely on race when they drafted the map?

The case could not only shift the boundaries of majority-Black districts in Louisiana but also help determine the balance of power in the House of Representatives in the coming years, when political control of the chamber has frequently rested on thin margins.

Using the new map to hold elections in 2024, Louisiana elected a second Black Democrat, Cleo Fields — the first time in a decade that Democrats have held two congressional seats in the state.

The case could also guide other states in balancing how much the Constitution allows them to take race into account as they try to comply with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The law remains a central legislative achievement of the civil rights era, though its scope has been curtailed in recent years by the court’s conservative majority.

The justices heard arguments on Monday in two consolidated cases — Louisiana v. Callais, No. 24-109 and Robinson v. Callais, No. 24-110. They stemmed from years of litigation that began after the 2020 census showed a sharp increase in the state’s Black population.

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