Louisiana halts House elections after Supreme Court map ruling
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Louisiana will postpone its congressional elections, officials confirmed a day after the U.S. Supreme Court declared the current district map unconstitutional.
Why it matters: Early voting was set to start Saturday for the May 16 primaries, and absentee ballots have already been mailed to overseas voters.
The big picture: Gov. Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill, in a joint statement Thursday morning, said they are working with the Legislature and the Secretary of State's office to "develop a path forward."
- They did not provide details about a timeline for their next steps, including when primaries could be rescheduled.
- While the House races are postponed, the state plans to move forward with elections for the U.S. Senate, constitutional amendments and several local races, NOLA.com's Tyler Bridges reports.
- Adding to the confusion, several state primaries are closed this year, meaning voters must be registered members of a party to vote.
Catch up quick: The Supreme Court's 6-3 decision Wednesday found Louisiana's use of race in creating a second majority-Black congressional district was an "unconstitutional racial gerrymander," Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the majority.
- The ruling limits a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, which helped dismantle Jim Crow laws and expand protections for voters of color across the South, writes Axios' Josephine Walker.
- Landry and Murrill welcomed the ruling as a victory for the state, while civil rights leaders said it was devastating for Black voters.
The intrigue: Lawmakers are likely to redraw the map, potentially reducing the number of majority-Black districts.
- Louisiana currently has two majority-Black districts.
- Rep. Cleo Fields was elected last year to represent the new district. Rep. Troy Carter, also a Black Democrat, represents the other, which includes New Orleans.
- Alanah Odoms, the executive director of the ACLU of Louisiana, says she expects lawmakers to draw six majority-white districts or five majority-white and one majority-Black district.
What's next: State lawmakers are likely to take up the map redistricting during the current session, which ends June 1, Bridges reports.