Welcome back to Redistricting Watch, where we break down exactly what’s happening inside statehouses across the country as state legislators redraw electoral districts and work to consolidate power outside of the normal redistricting cycle.
Since the Supreme Court’s April 29 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, a case concerning the constitutionality of Louisiana’s congressional map and the rights of Black voters across the country to access fair representation in elections, a lot has changed.
The Callais decision struck down Louisiana’s map that gave historic representation to Black Louisianians by providing two majority-Black districts. These districts gave Black voters and other voters of color the opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. Furthermore, the court’s decision eviscerated one of the country’s most sacred civil rights protections, Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA).
The ruling was a devastating blow, as it now permits states to use partisan gerrymandering as a wholesale excuse to deny Black voters a voice in their government. In other words, under the Supreme Court’s new view of Section 2, a state can, without legal consequence, systematically dilute minority citizens’ voting power. And now, in Callais’ wake, we are already witnessing fair districts across the country vanish as legislatures aim to gut representation for voters of color without checkpoints from the courts.
Need a refresher on why congressional redistricting is so important to your daily life? Here’s a quick catch-up.
Redistricting is the process by which state legislatures or other redistricting bodies redraw the boundaries of electoral districts. Redistricting typically coincides with the release of the U.S. census results, which occurs every 10 years at the beginning of each decade. But, right now, some state legislatures are redrawing congressional maps mid-decade — an unusual occurrence. This is called off-cycle redistricting, and it is not normal.
What’s troubling about the off-cycle redistricting happening right now is that legislators are sometimes using the pretext of partisanship to lock in power at the expense of Black voters and other voters of color, which the Constitution forbids. Politicians should not be selecting voters. Voters should choose politicians.
Rules about how voting maps are drawn can impact every part of your life. When courts rule in favor of fair maps, fair access and representation become the standard. Fair maps mean having a say in lower prices at the store, better schools, safer streets, accessible health care, and so much more.
LDF is closely tracking additional redistricting developments as legislatures draw, defend, and enact new maps that will affect Black communities in countless ways. Below are state-by-state redistricting updates since our last issue of Redistricting Watch, published on May 29.
Alabama: 2023 DISCRIMINATORY MAP ALLOWED BY U.S. SUPREME COURT
On June 2, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay in the ongoing redistricting case, Milligan v. Allen, that allows Alabama to use a congressional map drawn in 2023 that deliberately dilutes Black voters’ political power.
In May, the Supreme Court vacated the court-ordered congressional map won by Milligan that had two Black opportunity districts. Rather than rule on the case, the Supreme Court returned it to the district court to reexamine its prior decision in light of the Callais ruling.
When the district court affirmed (for the second time) that the 2023 map drawn by the Alabama legislature discriminated against Black voters, the state appealed.
The Supreme Court then granted a stay of the district court’s ruling blocking the map, opening the door for Alabama’s legislature to implement the 2023 discriminatory map.
Alabama congressional elections — including a rescheduled primary on Aug. 11 for congressional districts 1, 2, 6, and 7 — will now continue with the 2023 discriminatory map.
Alabama’s map has seven congressional districts.
Over 1.3 million Black people reside in Alabama.
Louisiana: NEW MAP ENACTED
A new map that eliminates a majority-Black congressional district was enacted for the 2026 midterm elections.
This map is similar to Louisiana’s 2022 voting map, which was found to violate the Voting Rights Act.
The Callais ruling struck down Louisiana’s previous congressional map. In a ripple effect, Louisiana’s primary election for the U.S. House of Representatives — originally slated for May 16 — was rescheduled for Nov. 3, where all candidates, regardless of party, will appear on the ballot.
Thousands of ballots were already returned for the original primary election, and several civil rights organizations have challenged the state’s decision to throw them all out.
Louisiana will now hold a “jungle primary” — where all candidates, regardless of party, run against each other at once — during the general election on Nov. 3, instead of the primary election that was originally scheduled for May 16.
Louisiana’s current map has six congressional districts.
Over 1.4 million Black people reside in Louisiana, nearly one-third of the state’s population.
Georgia: NEW MAP BLOCKED
On June 23, the Georgia General Assembly adjourned the special legislative session that began on June 17 without proposing a redistricting plan for a new congressional or legislative map.
The special session was called by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp to take advantage of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais.
During the special session, thousands of voters packed the Georgia Capitol, hosted regional activations, contacted their legislators, and responded to various calls to action to fight back against this effort to reduce Black political power.
Georgia’s current map has 14 congressional districts.
Over 3.7 million Black people reside in Georgia, around one-third of the state’s population.
Keep an Eye On:
In MISSISSIPPI, the governor is still eyeing a special session to redistrict the state for the 2028 elections. Over 1.1 million Black people reside in Mississippi, also comprising over one-third of the state’s population.
In TENNESSEE, civil and voting rights groups have already filed court challenges to newly enacted discriminatory maps. In Tennessee, the Legal Defense Fund joined a lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s newly enacted congressional map that intentionally discriminates against Black voters.
In MARYLAND, the state Senate president has signaled a shift in his stance on redistricting. After the Callais ruling and moves from other states to redistrict during ongoing elections, he indicated that he’s more open to adopting a new congressional map as a constitutional amendment during a special session. Previously, during the spring legislative session, he stalled and eventually blocked a new map from passing.
How Can You Get Involved
As these redistricting updates demonstrate, state legislatures are already rapidly moving to pass discriminatory maps post-Callais, so it’s more critical than ever to protect voting rights. The Supreme Court’s sustained attack on the VRA demands that people stand together to defend the right to vote, build community power, and continue the work generations before them began.
Ahead of any election, you should: make sure you’re registered to vote, create a voting plan with friends and family, find your polling place, know what forms of ID are required at the polls in your state, vote early, if you’re able, and research what’s on your ballot. There are local, state, and federal elections happening across the country.
And if you’re interested in getting more involved, you can sign up to become an election worker or a nonpartisan volunteer, encourage your workplace to make Election Day a paid holiday, or organize child care for your community so everyone can vote.
And remember to save and share the number for the National Election Protection Hotline (866-OUR-VOTE). You can call the hotline with voting questions or to report issues with voting access.
Previous Updates
All states featured here have undergone redistricting updates since our May 29 issue of Redistricting Watch. For information from previous issues, please check out the Redistricting Watch section on LDF’s Substack page.
On the Horizon
LDF will continue to track updates as other states hurry through redistricting efforts. Lawmakers are continuing to discuss holding special legislative sessions to determine the future of their congressional maps or proposing redistricting measures during current state legislative sessions.
Follow along in the next issue of Redistricting Watch as we update you on redistricting as it happens. In the meantime, for more information about redistricting, please visit LDF’s Redistricting page.