Voting rights activists gathered outside the US Supreme Court on 15 October 2025, protesting before a hearing on a Louisiana election case. The demonstration underscored tensions over the state's decision to suspend congressional primary elections.
Lawsuit Challenges Governor's Order
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit on Friday on behalf of Louisiana voting rights groups, seeking to block Governor Jeff Landry and Secretary of State Nancy Landry from halting congressional elections. The governor suspended the primary on Thursday, even after early voting had commenced, aiming to redraw districts for the 2026 election cycle.
The suspension followed the Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais on Wednesday, which invalidated parts of the Voting Rights Act and declared that a Louisiana congressional district with a majority-nonwhite voting population violated equal protection provisions of the US Constitution.
Other races and constitutional amendment votes will proceed as scheduled, but votes for the congressional race will not be counted, per Landry's order.
Plaintiffs Seek Temporary Restraining Order
The League of Women Voters of Louisiana, the Louisiana NAACP, the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, and three individual voters filed a suit in Baton Rouge state court on Friday. They requested a temporary restraining order, arguing that election delays have only been permitted due to natural disasters or similar emergencies, and a Supreme Court decision does not constitute a state of emergency under Louisiana law.
“Furthermore, the executive order sows chaos into an already-confusing election and puts Louisianians’ votes at risk, especially those who have already cast absentee ballots,” the NAACP stated.
The three plaintiffs—Ambrose Sims Jr., Joyce Davis Sims, and Phyllis V. Mercadel—are Louisiana voters who have already submitted absentee ballots for the 16 May primary in the state's fifth congressional district. This district is likely to be dismantled by Republican mapmakers following the Callais decision.
Federal Lawsuit Filed
A separate federal lawsuit was filed on Thursday in Louisiana federal court, seeking immediate restoration of the suspended primary elections. Lindsey Garcia, a Democratic congressional candidate in the fifth district, argued that the number of absentee ballots already returned by mail was substantial, raising constitutional due process concerns and violating federal election-timing laws.
