Voters Sue Over Louisiana Governor’s Move to Delay Primary

Key Points:

• Voters and voting rights groups filed lawsuits against Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry for suspending the state’s House primary election, arguing he exceeded his executive authority by delaying the election to allow time for redrawing congressional districts.
• The lawsuit seeks to block the governor’s suspension of the May 16 House primary, with early in-person voting set to begin shortly, potentially disrupting the state’s election schedule following the Supreme Court’s rejection of Louisiana’s congressional map as an illegal racial gerrymander.
• Gov. Landry used emergency powers to suspend the House primary, citing the illegality of the current map and the need for the Legislature to create new district lines, while other races, including a Senate primary, will continue as planned.
• Voting rights groups contend that the Supreme Court ruling does not constitute an emergency under state law and warn that the suspension could create confusion for voters, many of whom have already requested absentee ballots and are adapting to a new closed-primary system.
• Secretary of State Nancy Landry confirmed that House races will remain on ballots, but any votes cast in those primaries will not be counted, adding to concerns over voter disenfranchisement.