Louisiana Governor Calls for Redrawing of Congressional Map

Special session to address Voting Rights Act violation and other issues, with January 30 deadline for new boundaries

Louisiana's newly sworn-in Governor, Jeff Landry, has called for a special session to redraw the state's congressional map, following a federal judge's ruling that the current map violates the Voting Rights Act by diluting the power of Black voters.
The special session, scheduled for January 15 to 23, will also address other issues, including redrawing state Supreme Court districts and potentially moving away from Louisiana’s current open primary election system to a closed one.
Louisiana's current map, drawn by the GOP, has white majorities in five of six districts, despite Black people accounting for one-third of the state's population. The redrawing could potentially deliver a second congressional seat to Democrats.
Officials have until January 30 to pass new congressional boundaries with a second majority-minority district. If they fail to meet the deadline, a district court will hold a trial and decide on a plan for the 2024 elections.
The battle over Louisiana’s congressional boundaries has been ongoing for more than a year and a half, with Democrats arguing that the map discriminates against Black voters and Republicans asserting that Black populations in the state are too dispersed to be united into a second majority-Black district.