Louisiana GOP Delays Elections as It Looks Set to Wipe Out Black-Majority Districts

By Yunior Rivas

Horizontal composition covering the Mississippi River waterfront barge traffic and the State Capitol of Louisiana at Baton Rouge

Louisiana Republicans enacted a law Thursday delaying next year’s elections ahead of a looming U.S. Supreme Court decision that could upend the state’s congressional map by weakening the Voting Rights Act’s protections for minority voters.

The legislature, in a party-line vote during a special session called by Gov. Jeff Landry (R), shifted the 2026 primary from April 18 to May 16 and the runoff from May 30 to June 27.

Democrats denounced the move as a transparent attempt to buy time in anticipation of a ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, a case that could reshape the state’s majority-Black districts and curtail federal protections for minority voters.

A court ruling weakening the VRA could let Louisiana, and other Southern states, draw new congressional maps that scrap majority-Black Democratic-held districts, grabbing more seats for the GOP. 

“What they’re doing is trying to give themselves the greatest amount of time in an effort to really take away the voting strength of minority voters,” Rep. Edmond Jordan (D-Baton Rouge), said during the special session. 

Voting rights advocates argue the change is a pre-emptive strike against potential redistricting requirements.

The Callais case challenges the legality of Louisiana’s newly drawn map that includes two majority-Black districts — a configuration Democrats say is necessary to comply with the Voting Rights Act’s Section 2 protections.

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case earlier this month, and several of the court’s conservative justices appeared ready to significantly weaken protections for Black representation under the guise of “race-neutral” redistricting.

“This move to change the dates, in my opinion, and many others, was premature,” Rep. Denise Marcelle (D-Baton Rouge) said during floor debate. “It’s about control, it’s about power, and I’m certainly going to stand up against it.”

If the Supreme Court dismantles what protections remain of the VRA, Louisiana Republicans will already be one step ahead and have secured an advantage before a single vote is cast.