Louisiana Republican Gov. Jeff Landry has stopped the May 16 congressional primaries from going ahead after the Supreme Court struck down the Pelican State’s House map Wednesday.
“The State is currently enjoined from carrying out congressional elections under the current map. We are working together with the Legislature and the Secretary of State’s office to develop a path forward,” Landry and state Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a joint statement.
Early voting in the state’s primaries is scheduled to begin Saturday, while absentee balloting was already underway.
It was unclear whether Landry and Murrill’s announcement would affect primaries for statewide office, including one of the state’s two US Senate seats.
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Louisiana had unlawfully discriminated by race when it created a second majority-black congressional district. The ruling, seen as a victory for Republicans, weakened a key provision in the Voting Rights Act and could lead to other Southern states redrawing their congressional maps ahead of November’s midterm election.
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