U.S. Supreme Court decides redistricting case with implications for future map changes

Welcome to the Friday, May, 1, 2026, Brew.

By: Briana Ryan

Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:

U.S. Supreme Court decides prominent case with implications for future map changes
A special invitation to you to share a Mother’s Day story of civic engagement
Seven new measures have been certified for this year’s statewide ballots

U.S. Supreme Court decides redistricting case with implications for future map changes

On April 29, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision in Louisiana v. Callais that Louisiana’s congressional map that added a second majority-Black district was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.

In 2024, the Louisiana Legislature added the second majority-Black district in response to a previous lawsuit that argued the 2022 map diluted minority votes because it included only one majority-Black district in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

The Callais decision will affect how Section 2, which prohibits voting practices and procedures that discriminate on the basis of race, is applied in future disputes over district boundaries.

Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the majority opinion that Section 2 “requires evidence giving rise to a strong inference of intentional discrimination. If race and politics are not disentangled and a Section 2 claim is cynically used as a tool for advancing a partisan end, the VRA’s noble goal will be perverted.” Alito wrote that in the case against the original map, “Much of the cited evidence—such as the low number of black Louisianans who have been elected to Congress in recent decades—failed to disentangle race from politics.”

As a result, Alito concluded that “because the Voting Rights Act did not require Louisiana to create an additional majority-minority district, no compelling interest justified the State’s use of race in creating SB8 [the map with the second majority-Black district]. That map is an unconstitutional gerrymander, and its use would violate the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights.”

In a dissent, Justice Elena Kagan wrote, “The consequences are likely to be far-reaching and grave. Today’s decision renders Section 2 all but a dead letter. In the States where that law continues to matter—the States still marked by residential segregation and racially polarized voting—minority voters can now be cracked out of the electoral process.”

Effect on the 2026 U.S. House midterms

On April 30, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) and Attorney General Liz Murrill wrote in a joint statement, “The State is currently enjoined from carrying out congressional elections under the current map. We are working together with the Legislature and the Secretary of State’s office to develop a path forward.” The state’s primaries were scheduled for May 16 and the filing deadline was Feb. 13.

Landry posted on X about the Supreme Court decision: “The Supreme Court has affirmed what we have said for years: drawing districts for political reasons is the States’ prerogative, not a federal civil-rights violation.” Louisiana’s six congressional districts are currently represented by four Republicans and two Democrats. They were represented by five Republicans and one Democrat under the 2022 map.

In Florida, where a special session for congressional redistricting was already underway when the Callais decision came down, the Florida Legislature approved a new map that same day. On April 29, the Florida House of Representatives approved the map 83-28, which would shift four seats to Republicans according to the 2024 presidential election results. One Republican joined all Democrats in voting against the map. After reviewing the Callais decision, the Florida Senate voted 21-17 to approve the map. Four Republicans and one independent joined all Democrats in voting against it.

So far, six states will have new congressional district boundaries in the 2026 midterms. Virginia could be another. The Virginia Supreme Court is weighing the constitutionality of the voter-approved redistricting amendment. On April 28, the Court upheld a lower court order blocking certification of the amendment.

The table below shows the net effect of mid-decade redistricting nationwide should either, both, or neither of Florida and Virginia’s maps take effect. The figures below were calculated using 2024 presidential election results. The table also shows how these numbers could change should Louisiana pass a new map that moves one or both of its Democratic districts toward Republicans.

Effect on redistricting moving forward

Other states may pursue redistricting ahead of the 2028 elections. The Downballot identified 12 districts across eight southern states where Republicans could aim to redraw their congressional districts following the Callais decision.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) said that she will not immediately call for a special session: "While I am encouraged by this decision, it does not yet resolve our ongoing redistricting fight over Alabama's congressional map. Alabama is currently under a court order prohibiting the use of new congressional districts until after the 2030 census. While we are not in position to have a special session at this time, I hope in light of this new decision, the court is favorable to Alabama."

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) announced on April 24, that he was calling a special session for congressional redistricting to begin 21 days after the decision. That date would be May 20. Although Reeves did not say what election cycle Mississippi could start using the potential boundaries, Clarion Ledger’s Bea Anhuci wrote that it “would almost definitely not be in effect for the upcoming midterm elections later this year.”

Republicans currently have a 217-212-1 majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, with five vacancies. The general election is Nov. 3.

Click here to read about Louisiana v. Callais, and here for more information about redistricting ahead of the midterm elections.

A special invitation to you to share a Mother’s Day story of civic engagement

This Mother’s Day, Ballotpedia wants to offer you a special way to honor your mother, or grandmother, or any woman in your life who has inspired you to get involved in our nation’s civic life.

Did your mom take you with her to the polls when she voted on Election Day? Did she talk about the news and issues of the day with you, or encourage you to get involved in a civic organization or even a political campaign? Maybe she was a candidate for office, and you got to see a campaign firsthand?

Whatever your story may be, we hope you will share it with us. To do so, simply reply to this email, or send a note to editor@ballotpedia.org. With permission, we will share excerpts of the Mother’s Day stories we receive with our readers.

Let’s inspire a new generation of voters, volunteers, community leaders, and candidates. Send your story today.

Seven new measures have been certified for this year’s statewide ballots

As of April 28, 99 measures have been certified for statewide ballots this year — above the historical average of 89 at this point in even-numbered years from 2014 through 2024. From 2014 through 2024, an average of 153 statewide measures were certified in an even-numbered year.

Over the past two weeks, seven new measures — three in California, one in Missouri, and three in Oklahoma — were certified for statewide ballots. The three in California are citizen initiatives, while the legislatures referred the other four to the statewide ballots.

Signatures have been submitted and are pending verification for nine citizen initiatives:

Enough signatures were verified for 11 indirect initiatives to certify them to the Massachusetts General Court. Click here to learn more about the measures.

The signature deadlines within the next two weeks are:

May 1 in Idaho, where campaigns for initiatives related to abortion and medical marijuana have announced plans to submit signatures.
May 3 in Missouri, where 18 citizen initiatives were approved for signature gathering, with at least one campaign announcing an intent to file signatures.
May 5 in South Dakota, where three citizen initiatives were approved for signature gathering.

Click here for more information about the measures that could be on statewide ballots this year.