In the case of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People et al. v. Hampton County Election Commission et al., 1984, the Supreme Court ruled that a South Carolina county's at-large system for electing members to its school board did not violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The NAACP had argued that this method diluted minority votes and prevented African American candidates from being elected, thus violating their rights under federal law. However, in a unanimous decision, the court held that while there was racial polarization in voting patterns within Hampton County, it wasn't sufficient evidence to prove vote dilution as per Section 2 standards because other factors such as candidate qualifications also influenced election outcomes.

In the dissenting opinion for NAACP v. Hampton County Election Commission, Justice Thurgood Marshall argued that the majority's decision to uphold South Carolina's at-large voting system was a misinterpretation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. He contended that this ruling ignored clear evidence of racial discrimination in voting practices and outcomes. The justice believed that an electoral system should not be considered fair if it consistently prevents minority voters from influencing election results, regardless of whether or not this is its intended purpose. In his view, by focusing on intent rather than impact, the court had failed to properly enforce anti-discrimination laws and protect minority voters' rights.