Louisiana Moves to Delay 2026 Elections

Governor Jeff Landry called a special legislative session after the U.S. Supreme Court heard Louisiana v. Callais so lawmakers can consider shifting the 2026 election calendar amid a potential Court ruling on the state's congressional map. Republican leaders are proposing roughly 30‑day delays — moving qualifying from January to Feb. 11, the closed primary from April 18 to May 16, and pushing general and runoff elections into June — to allow time for possible redistricting or changes to how Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act is applied. Supporters say the changes would avoid last‑minute legal problems under the Purcell principle; opponents call the move premature, warn it could harm minority voting rights, and criticized a rushed committee hearing that limited public notice and input. Lawmakers have up to 22 days in the special session, insist actual map redrawing is not on the agenda, and observers note a Republican supermajority does not guarantee unanimous support for sweeping calendar delays.