The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to immediately implement its recent ruling that struck down Louisiana's congressional map, waiving the typical 32-day waiting period before formally returning cases to lower courts.

The decision came in response to Louisiana's request to expedite the process, citing the urgent need to redraw congressional districts before the upcoming midterm elections. Last week, the Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling invalidating the state's congressional map under the Voting Rights Act.

The expedited timeline is unusual for the court, which historically waits over a month before issuing formal judgments to lower courts. The procedural move allows Louisiana to begin the redistricting process immediately rather than waiting until late summer.

The decision prompted a notable exchange between Justices Samuel Alito and Ketanji Brown Jackson, who found themselves on opposite sides of the procedural question. Jackson criticized the court's decision to hasten the ruling, noting that such expedited action has occurred only twice in the past 25 years.

The original case involved Louisiana voters who successfully challenged the state's voting map as an illegal racial gerrymander. The Supreme Court's ruling last week struck down the map and affected interpretations of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

With the expedited timeline now in effect, Louisiana must move quickly to create new congressional district boundaries that comply with the court's ruling before the midterm election cycle proceeds.