Overview
- The Supreme Court, in a 6–3 decision Wednesday, threw out Louisiana’s congressional map as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander and said the Voting Rights Act did not require a second Black‑majority district in this case.
- Louisiana officials postponed the May 16 U.S. House primaries and said the state cannot run congressional elections under the now‑invalid map.
- Ballots had already been mailed and early voting was set to begin, and Rep. Cleo Fields said some voters have already cast ballots and legal challenges are likely if voting is halted.
- The majority’s opinion rewrites how courts assess vote‑dilution cases under the Voting Rights Act, and Justice Elena Kagan warned in dissent that the decision weakens core protections for racial equality in elections.
- Republicans in several states began pushing new maps after the ruling, with Florida advancing a plan to flip House seats and Tennessee leaders weighing changes, while an emergency request before Justice Samuel Alito could determine how fast Louisiana must act.