GOP Redistricting Scrambles Southern Primaries as 179,000 Louisiana Ballots Risk Not Counting
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · May 11
GOP Redistricting Scrambles Southern Primaries as 179,000 Louisiana Ballots Risk Not Counting
10 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · May 11
Nearly 179,000 Louisiana primary ballots had been cast by Friday, but votes in U.S. House races will not be counted after the governor suspended those contests mid-early voting.
The disruption follows a Supreme Court ruling last month that weakened the Voting Rights Act, prompting Republicans to redraw House maps across Southern states to protect their narrow U.S. House majority.
Alabama passed legislation for a possible congressional primary do-over, Tennessee is reprogramming systems and retraining poll workers for an Aug. 6 primary, and South Carolina says a separate congressional primary could cost $3 million.
Florida already has a new map aimed at costing Democrats four of their eight seats, while Republicans in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee are weighing changes that could erase several Democratic districts, many held by Black lawmakers.
Voting-rights advocates say the compressed timelines and shifting districts risk wrong-ballot errors, lower turnout and deeper distrust in elections across the South.
How does redrawing election maps overnight affect long-term trust in the democratic process?
Your district changed mid-election. How can you guarantee your vote will count?
Louisiana’s election crisis began when the Supreme Court weakened protections against racial discrimination in redistricting, ruling against the state’s congressional map. In response, Governor Jeff Landry issued an executive order suspending the May 16 primary, arguing that holding elections under an unconstitutional map would harm voter rights and election integrity. He emphasized ending race-based decisions and aimed to give the Legislature time to create a fair map. House Speaker Mike Johnson supported the suspension, stating the Governor had no choice after the court’s decision. This sequence of events has left Louisiana’s ballots in limbo and voters facing confusion and uncertainty.