voting rights

A full day of public testimony took place Friday, marred by several disruptions over new congressional maps during the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee meeting.

At a press conference, lawmakers urged voters to still cast their ballots in the May 16 election despite news that the U.S. House races are not being counted.

Gov. Jeff Landry declared a state of emergency after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the current congressional map is unconstitutional.

The door is open for the state to redraw its congressional map and eliminate one of its majority Black districts.

Capitol Access Minute

Multiple bills have passed through Louisiana House and Senate committees as Gov. Jeff Landry’s special session on 2026 election dates is underway.

State lawmakers will begin a special session on Thursday to decide new dates for the 2026 election cycle amid the U.S. Supreme Court case concerning Louisiana's congressional map.

Landry wants to push dates back for the closed primaries next year to give lawmakers extra time to possibly approve a new congressional map.

“We had over 100,000 voters show up to vote — 40.1% unofficial turnout — which is the highest voter turnout for a mayor's race in New Orleans since 2002,” said Joel Watson, with the Secretary of State’s Office.

A new Louisiana law requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote went into effect Jan. 1, but so far there’s no guidance on what documentation is needed.