BATON ROUGE — Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry today said that voting for the May 16 elections will proceed, with early voting beginning on Saturday, May 2.
However, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled yesterday that Louisiana’s current U.S. House District maps are an unconstitutional gerrymander and their use in the upcoming Congressional elections would violate law.
“Pursuant to 18:401.1(B), I have certified the emergency in light of the Supreme Court ruling. This is a mandatory step prior to the Governor issuing an executive order suspending the upcoming Louisiana U.S. House races. All other races on the ballot, besides the U.S. House races, will continue as scheduled, with early voting beginning on Saturday,” Secretary Landry said.
“Our office will post notices at each of the early voting sites to alert the public of this change. While the U.S. House races will remain on voters’ ballots, any votes cast in those races will not be counted.”
Here are some statements about this:
Here's what the Louisiana Black Caucus released:
The Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus (LLBC) responds with profound disappointment — and unwavering resolve — to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision in Louisiana v. Callais, striking down the congressional map that established Louisiana’s second majority-Black district. We respond with equal alarm to today’s announcement by the Secretary of State that she has certified an emergency under La. R.S. 18:401.1(B), clearing the path for the Governor to suspend Louisiana’s U.S. House of Representatives elections by executive order — even as early voting begins this Saturday in every other race on the ballot.
Let us be clear about both decisions, and what they mean together.
The Callais ruling is not an abstract legal development. It is a direct blow to the political voice of Black Louisianans — and as Justice Kagan warned in her dissent, it leaves Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act “all but a dead letter.” For more than half a century, Section 2 has stood as one of the most consequential legacies of the Civil Rights Movement — a hard-won safeguard secured through marches, beatings, prayers, and the lives of those who believed America could be better than its history.
Louisiana’s map was not a favor to Black voters. It was a court-ordered remedy, enacted by this Legislature, to correct a violation of federal law. Black Louisianans make up roughly one-third of our state’s population. Fair representation is not a privilege to be rationed.
Now, less than 24 hours after the ruling — and less than 48 hours before early voting begins — the State has moved to take Louisiana’s six U.S. House races off the table entirely. Voters will walk into early voting locations on Saturday, see congressional races on their ballots, and be told their votes will not be counted. THE LLBC REJECTS THIS OUTCOME.
The emergency-suspension authority being invoked does not fit this situation. R.S. 18:401.1(B) — the provision the Secretary of State has certified under — was written for hurricanes, floods, and the displacement of Louisianans by natural disaster. The statute speaks plainly of “difficulties occurring in [a] parish due to natural disasters.” It was never intended to cancel federal elections in the wake of an adverse court ruling, particularly one whose mandate has not yet issued and which leaves time for an orderly response.
The Legislature already provided a separate, narrower emergency mechanism for the precise situation in which an election cannot be held in time: R.S. 18:401.1(H). That subsection authorizes the Governor to proclaim an election emergency to call a special election when a vacancy in office cannot be filled within the timeframes required by law.
There is no vacancy in any of Louisiana’s six U.S. House seats. Every district is currently represented. No member has died, resigned, or been removed. Subsection (H) does not apply, and the State does not claim that it does — because it cannot.
That is precisely why this matters. The Legislature drew a careful distinction between (B), the disaster provision, and (H), the vacancy provision. The State is reaching for (B) because (H) plainly does not authorize what is being done — and (B) was not written for this either.
Stretching emergency power to silence Louisiana voters in a federal election where every seat is filled, and where no statutory vacancy exists, sets a dangerous precedent that should alarm every citizen of this state, regardless of party.
The LLBC calls for the following immediate actions:
1. The State should pursue every available avenue to allow the May 16 congressional elections to proceed under court-supervised conditions.
2. Any path forward must include meaningful participation from the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus and from the Black communities whose representation is at the heart of this case. A new map cannot be drawn in a back room. The next congressional map must reflect the principles of fair representation, equal protection, and full compliance with the Voting Rights Act — what remains of it.
3. The State must be transparent with Louisiana voters in the next 48 hours about the legal basis for taking these races off the ballot, the timeline for any rescheduled congressional election, and the steps being taken to ensure that no Louisianan’s voice is silenced longer than absolutely necessary.
We are especially troubled by the precedent this entire sequence sets nationwide. When the highest court in the land treats race-conscious remedies for documented racial discrimination as themselves unconstitutional — and when state officials respond by simply removing congressional elections from the ballot — it inverts the very purpose of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. Those amendments were written in the aftermath of slavery, ratified in the shadow of Reconstruction, and intended to guarantee that the descendants of the enslaved would never again be shut out of American democracy. A Louisiana in which Black voters cast ballots that go uncounted is not a Louisiana that honors that promise.
The fight does not end here. The LLBC remains unwavering in its commitment to advocate for policies that protect civil rights, expand opportunity, and ensure that every Louisianan — regardless of race, geography, or background — has an equal voice and an equal vote.
The Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus will continue to stand on the front lines, using every legislative, legal, and moral tool available to advance justice and protect the people we serve. The arc of history is long. We intend to keep bending it — AND WE INTEND TO VOTE.
Here's a joint statement from State Senate President Cameron Henry and State House Speaker Phillip Devillier:
The Governor and the Attorney General have advised that the U.S. Supreme Court decision this week bars Louisiana from enforcing the current Louisiana congressional election maps. We are prepared as a Legislature to address under the law what is necessary both to bring our congressional district maps in line with the Supreme Court’s decision and to provide under the law for the election dates and procedures necessary to hold elections in those U.S. House races this year. We believe that we have the bills available in the current session to accomplish that work within the remaining month of our regular legislative session. We want to stress to voters, as the Secretary of State has advised, that it is only the six Louisiana U.S. House seats whose races are being suspended at this time. All other races and ballot measures will continue as scheduled on the election dates currently scheduled. We urge voters to continue to make their plans to vote in all other races or matters on the ballot on the election dates currently scheduled.
Here's what Gov. Jeff Landry released:
Governor Jeff Landry issued an executive order suspending Louisiana’s closed party primary elections only for offices of U.S. Representative in response to the recent decision by the United States Supreme Court in Louisiana v. Callais. EO attached.
“The best way to end race-based discrimination is to stop making decisions based on race,” said Governor Jeff Landry. “Here in Louisiana, we’re proud to lead the nation on this charge. Allowing elections to proceed under an unconstitutional map would undermine the integrity of our system and violate the rights of our voters. This executive order ensures we uphold the rule of law while giving the Legislature the time it needs to pass a fair and lawful congressional map. I would like to thank Attorney General Liz Murrill for her hard work throughout this process”
The ruling issued on April 29 found Louisiana’s current congressional district map, enacted under SB 8 during the 2024 First Extraordinary Session, to be an unconstitutional gerrymander. The decision effectively reinstates a lower court injunction prohibiting the state from conducting congressional elections under the invalidated map.
As a result, the state’s closed party primary elections for U.S. House seats, previously scheduled for May 16, 2026, and the second primary set for June 27, 2026, are suspended. Early voting for the May election was set to begin May 2. Other offices and ballot measures scheduled for May 16 will continue as planned. This suspension will only apply to the U.S. House races.
This executive order follows certification from the Louisiana Secretary of State that an electoral emergency exists, as provided under R.S. 18:401.1. The statute authorizes the governor to suspend or delay elections to protect voter safety, participation, and the integrity of the process.
From The Urban League of Louisiana:
Nothing in the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais requires halting an election that is already underway. This abrupt move injects confusion into our primary elections, undermines public confidence, and risks disenfranchising voters across the state. At best, Governor Landry's decision reflects poor judgment. At worst, it advances a broader pattern of actions designed to consolidate power within Louisiana’s current supermajority at the expense of fair and representative democracy. Louisianans deserve clarity, stability, and a system that respects their right to vote; Not last-minute disruptions that create chaos and suppress participation. Suspending an election midstream does exactly that.
We urge residents across the state to remain focused and resolute: Contact the Governor, the Attorney General, and your legislators to demand a transparent, lawful path forward and congressional maps that fairly reflect Louisiana’s people. Prepare to vote in record numbers whenever elections proceed because sustained civic engagement is the strongest response to uncertainty and obstruction. Louisiana’s democracy should not hinge on confusion or convenience. It must be grounded in fairness, access, and the full participation of all its people.
“I’m thankful for the ruling handed down by the Supreme Court but I’m concerned that Louisiana has worked its way into quite a predicament. I am not confident at all that the Legislature of this state will come up with a
congressional map that is fair to the people of Louisiana. They have demonstrated that, as a body, they don’t have the citizens in mind but instead cater to the political whims of the Governor, who also demonstrates that the will of the people takes a backseat…” Bert Callais
From 10,000 Women Louisiana:
10,000 Women Louisiana is calling out Governor Jeff Landry for actions that threaten to destabilize Louisiana’s election process and undermine voter confidence statewide. The recent ruling in Callais v. Louisiana may have opened the door to congressional redistricting ahead of the 2026 election but that does not make last-minute disruption appropriate, ethical, or justifiable. Voters have already begun participating in the election process, with early voting scheduled for May 2–9 and the primary set for May 16. Intervening at this stage risks widespread confusion and jeopardizes the integrity of the entire ballot, including races for U.S. Senate, Congress, judicial seats, constitutional amendments, and local offices.
Melissa Flournoy, Board Chair of 10,000 Women Louisiana, stated: “The Governor has flipped the table on Louisiana voters. Throwing a wrench into the election process at the last minute is reckless and undermines trust in our democracy. The Secretary of State must stand up and protect the sanctity of Louisiana’s elections.”
This move comes amid heightened political tensions during the current legislative session, including controversial actions affecting local governance. Against that backdrop, 10,000 Women Louisiana views the Governor’s actions as part of a broader pattern of political maneuvering that risks eroding democratic norms.
Alfreda Tilman Bester, Vice-Chair of 10,000 Women Louisiana and former General Counsel for the NAACP, said: “Governor Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill are among the most divisive figures in our state’s modern history. Their actions contribute to a coordinated erosion of voting rights for Louisiana citizens.”
10,000 Women Louisiana continues its commitment to civic engagement through its co-sponsorship of the “To the People, For the People” Democratic Roadshow, a statewide series of events designed to inform voters and increase participation. Upcoming stops include Monroe, Houma, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, Hammond, Covington, and New Orleans.
Bester added: “Louisiana is not a red state or a blue state—it is a nonvoting state. Efforts to mark hundreds of thousands of voters as inactive, combined with last-minute election disruptions, make participation harder, not easier. Our leaders should be expanding access, not restricting it.”
Flournoy emphasized the broader historical context: “Louisiana has a long history of voter suppression through the Jim Crow era. In the 21st century, we should be moving forward not back. These actions disrespect voters and threaten the integrity of our election system.”
10,000 Women Louisiana and its partners across the advocacy community are committed to defending fair elections and protecting the rights of all voters. “We will stand up and fight back,” Flournoy said. “We call on all people of good faith and courage to join us in protecting democracy and ensuring representative government in Louisiana.”
From Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill:
"The United States Supreme Court’s ruling effectively revives the district court’s original injunction against SB 8. We will continue to work with Governor Landry and members of the Legislature to adopt new dates and a constitutional map." - Attorney General Liz Murrill
Read the executive order here [t.e2ma.net].
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy issued this statement:
"Louisiana voters have an important choice to make about who will represent them in the U.S. Senate for the next six years. The governor’s decision to move ahead with the Senate race during a confusing time is disappointing. Now, it’s up to all of us to help people understand what’s happening and make sure voters know how to cast their votes over the next two weeks."
