Louisiana House primaries were suspended after Supreme Court ruling, causing confusion as early voting began
The Facts
- Early voting for Louisiana's May 16 election began with confusion over the status of the U.S. House races.
- Gov. Jeff Landry suspended Louisiana's U.S. House primaries after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the state's congressional map unconstitutional.
- Louisiana election officials said votes cast in the House races would not be counted even though those contests still appeared on ballots.
- The suspension affected Louisiana's U.S. House primary elections while other races on the ballot were still scheduled to proceed.
- The election change came after some absentee or mail ballots had already been sent out and, according to multiple reports, after some votes had already been cast.
- Multiple lawsuits were filed in state and federal court challenging the governor's order, arguing he exceeded his authority by suspending the congressional primaries.
- A federal three-judge panel was convened to hear a lawsuit over the suspension of Louisiana's U.S. House primary elections.
- The legal and administrative uncertainty was still unresolved as early voting continued, with candidates and voters left uncertain about whether House votes would ultimately matter and how the election calendar would be reset.
Context
Why were Louisiana's House primaries suspended?
Gov. Jeff Landry suspended the U.S. House primaries after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Louisiana's congressional map unconstitutional, and state officials said they should not proceed under that map Truthout,NYT,WBRZ,Roll Call.
What happened to ballots that still listed House races?
Reports said House contests remained on some ballots even after the suspension, but Secretary of State Nancy Landry said votes cast in those races would not be counted Truthout,NYT,Raw Story,KTBS.
What is being challenged in court?
Voters, candidates and voting-rights groups have challenged the governor's use of emergency powers to halt the congressional primaries, arguing that a court ruling is not the kind of emergency that allows him to change the election schedule unilaterally NOLA,Eagle-Tribune,Roll Call,KATC.
Where Left and Right agree, and where they split
- Where Left and Right agree
- An election change made after ballots were sent and some votes reportedly cast left Louisiana’s House primaries in unresolved confusion, with voters, candidates, and officials facing a process whose consequences were unclear even as other races moved ahead.
- Where Left and Right split
- Voters being asked to navigate ballots with House votes that would not be counted, or whether suspending those primaries exceeded the governor’s lawful authority and unsettled the election process.
How left and right read it
What matters most here is the burden placed on voters and on the credibility of election administration. Early voting began amid confusion, ballots still showed House races whose votes officials said would not be counted, and the change came after some absentee or mail ballots had already gone out and some votes had reportedly been cast, leaving people uncertain while other races continued.
What matters most here is institutional restraint and whether executive power was used within lawful bounds. Multiple lawsuits in state and federal court argue the suspension exceeded the governor’s authority, a federal three-judge panel was convened, and the unresolved uncertainty as early voting continued left candidates and voters without a clear, settled process for the House primaries.
The receipts — 38 sources
Wire services (1)
Independent coverage (37)
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