Louisiana’s congressional primaries won’t be going forward as scheduled in May, as a result of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a majority Black congressional district, the state’s top elected officials said Thursday.
Gov. Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a joint statement that Wednesday’s high court ruling effectively prohibits the state from carrying out the primaries under the current districts.
“The State is currently enjoined from carrying out congressional elections under the current map," Landry and Murrill said in the statement posted to social media. “We are working together with the Legislature and the Secretary of State’s office to develop a path forward.”
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Early voting had been scheduled to begin Saturday in advance of the May 16 primary.
The Supreme Court's decision underscores the court’s growing skepticism of race-based redistricting, a shift expected to weaken the Voting Rights Act.
The court split 6-3, with the conservative majority siding against the map.
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Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority, said minority voters should not be treated differently from others.
“Because the Voting Rights Act did not require Louisiana to create an additional majority-minority district, no compelling interest justified the state’s use of race in creating SB8,” Alito wrote. “That map is an unconstitutional gerrymander, and its use would violate the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights.”
