‘This Is Not Democracy’: New Southern Redistricting Push Ignites Voting Rights Firestorm

May 13, 2026

Republican-controlled state legislatures across the Southern United States are rapidly moving to redraw congressional district maps in ways that dismantle or weaken Black-majority voting districts following the Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which significantly reduced protections against racial vote dilution. The changes are targeting prominent Black lawmakers and Democratic representation in states including Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee, with some actions taking place even after voting had already begun in ongoing elections.

Who is affected

Black voters across Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee
Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson of Mississippi (former January 6 Committee chair)
Democratic Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina
Democratic state Rep. Justin Pearson of Tennessee
Voters in Memphis, Tennessee, and other Black-majority population centers
Voters in Louisiana who had already cast ballots before the election suspension
Election officials in Louisiana
Civil rights organizations including the NAACP, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and the ACLU
Kristen Clarke, former assistant attorney general for civil rights and current NAACP general counsel

What action is being taken

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry has suspended the state's ongoing congressional primary elections (after early voting had begun and some ballots were cast)
The Elias Law Group has filed a lawsuit to stop Louisiana's election suspension
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has announced plans for a special legislative session on redistricting
Mississippi lawmakers are weighing whether to redraw congressional maps that could threaten Congressman Bennie Thompson's district
Tennessee Republicans have approved congressional maps that divide Memphis into multiple districts
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed suit challenging Tennessee's maps
Voting rights attorneys are pursuing legal challenges across multiple Southern states

Why it matters

This represents the most serious threat to Black voting representation and political power since key provisions of the Voting Rights Act were struck down in 2013. The Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v. Callais has effectively weakened federal civil rights protections against racial vote dilution, giving state legislatures broader authority to redraw districts under claims of partisan redistricting rather than racial gerrymandering. These changes could eliminate or significantly weaken Black-majority congressional districts that have existed since the Voting Rights Act of 1965, potentially reducing Black political representation in Congress and diminishing the influence of some of the most powerful Black lawmakers in American politics. The coordinated nature of these efforts across multiple Southern states, coupled with the compressed timeline before the 2026 midterms, suggests a regional strategy to reshape political power that civil rights advocates warn echoes Jim Crow-era voter suppression tactics.

What's next

Mississippi will hold a special legislative session on redistricting following Governor Reeves' announcement
Legal challenges filed by voting rights groups will proceed through courts in Louisiana, Tennessee, and potentially other states
Mississippi lawmakers will decide whether to proceed with redrawing congressional maps that could affect Congressman Bennie Thompson's district
The 2026 midterm elections will take place under whatever new maps are ultimately approved and survive legal challenges
Rep. James Clyburn has indicated he will run for reelection regardless of how South Carolina's districts are redrawn

Read full article from source: The Washington Informer