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Republican redistricting campaigns, Supreme Court challenges to the Voting Rights Act, and state-level voter suppression battles
Americans are increasingly relocating to states and communities whose political cultures match their own, a trend sociologists call 'ideological sorting.' But researchers say the movement is driven by more than just politics — economic…
3 MIN READDemocrats in the New York state Legislature introduced a proposal Monday to amend the state constitution's redistricting rules, starting a two-year process that could allow them to draw more aggressive congressional lines for the 2028…
3 MIN READThe Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned a lower court ruling and cleared the way for Alabama to use a congressional map that a three-judge panel had found "tainted by intentional race-based discrimination," a decision that will likely cost…
3 MIN READTennessee Republicans have eliminated the state's only Democratic, Black-majority congressional district, splitting Memphis's Black voters across three Republican-leaning seats in a redistricting that followed the U.S. Supreme Court's…
3 MIN READRobert Garcia, a two-term Democratic congressman and the first gay immigrant sworn into Congress, is poised to represent Huntington Beach after California voters approved a redistricting measure that redrew the state's congressional maps…
3 MIN READThe Louisiana House of Representatives passed a congressional redistricting plan Thursday that would eliminate the state’s current majority-Black congressional district, advancing a Republican-led map designed to secure additional GOP…
3 MIN READOn May 26, 2026, Rep. Yvette Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, sent a letter to more than 250 major U.S. companies urging them to publicly condemn Republican‑led redistricting plans that would eliminate majority‑Black House…
3 MIN READDemocrats are preparing to counter Republicans’ push to redraw U.S. House districts mid-decade, but they face state-level constraints Republicans often do not, according to an Associated Press analysis. The timing is especially difficult…
3 MIN READDemocrats are positioned to finish several seats behind Republicans in the 2026 nationwide legislative map redistricting effort, facing constitutional constraints and voter-approved independent commissions that complicate their…
3 MIN READSouth Carolina lawmakers are debating new congressional map lines after the U.S. Supreme Court weakened a section of the Voting Rights Act that protected majority-Black districts, raising questions about the future of 17-term Rep. Jim…
3 MIN READRepublicans are redrawing congressional districts to gain an edge in the 2026 midterms after a U.S. Supreme Court decision weakened minority protections under the Voting Rights Act, the Associated Press reported May 23. In Tennessee,…
3 MIN READRepublicans in several Southern states are moving quickly to redraw congressional district maps before the 2026 midterm elections, capitalizing on a recent Supreme Court ruling that weakened protections for minority voters under the…
3 MIN READRepublican Gov. Jeff Landry signed a new congressional map into law Friday shortly after the Louisiana Legislature passed it, replacing a map with two majority-Black districts with one that creates a single such district and is designed to…
3 MIN READRepublican leaders in Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana and South Carolina are moving quickly to redraw U.S. House districts before the 2026 midterm elections, citing a recent Supreme Court decision that weakens minority‑vote protections under…
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Alabama’s Republican Senate primary narrowed to a June 16 runoff, with Jared Hudson advancing to face Rep. Barry Moore. On the Democratic side, the Tuesday primary set a runoff field for the seat held by GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville.
3 MIN READRepublicans in the South Carolina House voted just after midnight Tuesday to endorse a congressional redistricting plan favoring the GOP, setting up a fight in the state Senate. The House map would reshape South Carolina’s only…
3 MIN READThe U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ordered lower courts to reconsider a decision in a Voting Rights Act case brought by two Native American tribes, saying the ruling improperly limited who can sue to enforce the law. The justices sent back a…
3 MIN READThe Supreme Court on Monday ordered lower courts to reconsider a ruling that would sharply limit who can sue under the Voting Rights Act, acting in a case brought by two Native American tribes in North Dakota. The justices directed the 8th…
4 MIN READThe South Carolina House passed a congressional redistricting plan shortly after midnight Tuesday that would reshape the state's only Democratic-held U.S. House district to Republicans' advantage, part of a broader GOP push to protect its…
3 MIN READCOLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina House on Monday began its first full debate on a Republican-backed proposal to redraw the state's congressional map, a plan that would restructure the district of Rep. Jim Clyburn, the only Democrat in…
3 MIN READThe Supreme Court has ordered lower courts to reconsider a Voting Rights Act case brought by Native American tribes. The high court's decision comes after a ruling that weakened the Civil Rights-era law.
3 MIN READSouth Carolina House Republicans endorsed a new congressional redistricting plan late Tuesday, moving the bill to a more skeptical state Senate after Democrats objected. The measure reshapes the state’s only Democratic-held U.S. House…
3 MIN READThe NAACP and the Congressional Black Caucus are urging Black athletes and fans to boycott the athletic programs of public universities in several Southern states they say are restricting Black voting rights. The groups launched the “Out…
3 MIN READA debate over redrawing South Carolina’s congressional districts opened in the state House on Monday, as Republicans pursue changes that could help them win all seven of the state’s U.S. House seats. The effort comes after the U.S. Supreme…
3 MIN READSouth Carolina lawmakers on Monday opened a debate over changing the state's U.S. House districts, as Republicans seek a map they say could help them win every seat in the next Congress. The discussion came during a special session called…
3 MIN READThe U.S. Supreme Court ordered lower courts to reconsider a ruling in a Voting Rights Act case brought by two Native American tribes, saying the lower court applied the law too narrowly after a recent Supreme Court decision weakened…
3 MIN READOnly three of Alabama's seven congressional districts will hold binding primaries Tuesday, the Associated Press reported, following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that prompted Republican-led state governments across the South to discard…
3 MIN READThousands gathered at the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery on Saturday, May 16, 2026, returning to a cradle of the Civil Rights Movement to protest a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that further weakened the Voting Rights Act. The…
4 MIN READThe Trump administration has run at least 67 million voter registrations through a Department of Homeland Security eligibility-verification system, flagging tens of thousands of registrations as potential noncitizens or deceased voters, in…
3 MIN READThe U.S. Supreme Court on Monday sent back a closely watched Voting Rights Act case brought by Native American tribes, telling lower courts to reconsider a ruling that limited how the law can be enforced. The justices said the appeals…
3 MIN READSouth Carolina lawmakers on Monday began a first, full airing of a redistricting plan for U.S. House districts, as Republicans weigh how to pursue a statewide map that could help deliver additional GOP seats in the 2026 midterms. The…
3 MIN READThousands of people rallied Saturday in Montgomery, Alabama, pushing back against state efforts to dismantle congressional districts they say help secure Black political representation after the U.S. Supreme Court weakened the Voting…
3 MIN READThe Trump administration has run millions of voter registrations through a Homeland Security eligibility verification program, as Democratic officials and voting rights advocates challenge the effort in court. Critics say the…
3 MIN READAlabama voters head to the polls Tuesday for primaries in several state races and selected congressional districts, following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that disrupted parts of the state’s congressional maps. In the races moved to…
3 MIN READThe U.S. Supreme Court on Friday rejected Virginia’s bid to restore a congressional map that would have given Democrats an opportunity to gain four seats in the closely divided House of Representatives, leaving the state’s 2021 district…
3 MIN READA multiracial coalition of civil rights organizations gathered in Alabama on Saturday to oppose recent congressional redistricting and defend Black political representation, following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that prohibits states…
3 MIN READA Florida judge heard arguments Friday over whether a newly enacted map of the state's U.S. House districts violates the Florida Constitution's ban on drawing political lines to favor one party, part of a mid-decade redistricting push…
4 MIN READThe U.S. Supreme Court rejected Virginia’s request to restore a mid-decade congressional map drawn by Democrats, leaving the state to use its existing districts for the 2026 elections. The justices issued the decision on Friday, a move…
3 MIN READCivil rights leaders and lawmakers are planning rallies and tribute events in Alabama this weekend, aiming to counter a legal shift that further weakened the Voting Rights Act’s protections for race-conscious redistricting. The groups’…
3 MIN READFlorida’s newly approved U.S. House map faced its first court challenge Friday, with attorneys for voters asking a judge to block the districts from being used in the midterm elections. They argued the map violates a 2010 state…
3 MIN READThe Texas Supreme Court on Friday refused to declare that Democratic lawmakers who briefly left the state in 2025 to prevent a vote on new congressional maps had vacated their offices. The court rejected Gov. Greg Abbott and state…
3 MIN READLouisiana’s state Senate passed a congressional redistricting plan Thursday that would scrap a majority-Black district stretching from Baton Rouge to Shreveport, replacing it with a predominantly white district likely to elect a…
4 MIN READTwo weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s congressional map, Louisiana state senators on Thursday passed a new U.S. House redistricting plan that would eliminate a majority-Black district and cluster voting areas…
3 MIN READLouisiana Republican senators advanced a plan Wednesday to dismantle one of the state’s two majority-Black congressional districts, acting in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down the prior map as an illegal racial…
3 MIN READGeorgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation Tuesday requiring nonpartisan elections for most local offices in the state’s five most populous counties, prompting Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and DeKalb County District Attorney…
4 MIN READLouisiana lawmakers advanced a new plan to redraw U.S. House districts after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the state’s map as an illegal racial gerrymander, a development Republican-led states are using to reshape minority voting…
3 MIN READGeorgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law requiring nonpartisan elections for most local officials in five Atlanta-area counties, a move Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston say they will…
3 MIN READWest Virginia voters navigated a new state law requiring photo identification at the polls for the first time in Tuesday's primary, with Secretary of State Kris Warner reporting no one had demanded to vote without one and only minor…
4 MIN READPresident Donald Trump’s campaign to redraw U.S. House districts ahead of the November midterms produced a split verdict Tuesday, with South Carolina senators rejecting his pressure to eliminate a Democratic seat while Missouri’s top court…
3 MIN READSouth Carolina Republicans failed to advance a congressional redistricting proposal Tuesday, underscoring resistance within the GOP as voters prepare for primaries ahead of the November midterms. In Missouri, the state’s Supreme Court…
3 MIN READWest Virginia voters cast ballots in Tuesday’s primary while state law required photo identification at polling places for the first time, election officials said. The requirement came as voters nominated candidates for U.S. Senate, U.S.…
3 MIN READA Montana state judge has blocked a Republican-backed law that would have ended Election Day voter registration after noon for federal races, ruling late Friday that the restriction would disproportionately harm Native American and young…
3 MIN READA Montana judge has blocked the state from enforcing a 2025 law that would have prevented voters from registering after noon on Election Day for presidential, U.S. Senate and U.S. House races. The order, issued late Friday by District…
3 MIN READVirginia Democrats on Monday filed an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the justices to halt a state court ruling that invalidated a voter-approved congressional map and denied the party four winnable U.S. House seats.…
3 MIN READRepublicans in Tennessee rushed a new congressional map through the legislature this week, carving Memphis into three safe Republican districts less than two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court weakened a core Voting Rights Act provision.
3 MIN READVirginia’s highest court struck down a voter-approved Democratic congressional redistricting plan on Friday, ruling 4–3 that the legislature violated procedural rules when placing the constitutional amendment on the ballot. The decision…
4 MIN READRepublican-led redistricting across the South has left thousands of voters unsure which congressional district they now live in as primaries proceed on compressed schedules.
3 MIN READA wave of mid-decade redistricting across the South accelerated this week, with court rulings and legislative action in Virginia, Alabama, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Tennessee combining to reshape the congressional map in ways that…
3 MIN READThe U.S. Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for Alabama to drop one of its two majority-Black congressional districts before November’s midterm elections, handing Republicans a significant victory in the fight for control of the…
4 MIN READThe Tennessee Republican-controlled legislature has redrawn Memphis’s U.S. House districts, splitting longtime neighbors into separate congressional seats for the November midterms. The changes follow a U.S. Supreme Court decision that…
3 MIN READThe remaking of the U.S. political map accelerated this week in courts and state legislatures, with multiple changes expected to benefit Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. A Virginia Supreme Court ruling struck down a…
3 MIN READAlabama lawmakers on Friday approved legislation creating a new primary election for some U.S. House seats if courts allow Republican-drawn districts to be used for the November midterms, setting up another round of legal fights over…
4 MIN READDemocrats filed an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to stop a Virginia ruling that struck down a voter-approved constitutional amendment creating new congressional districts.
3 MIN READAlabama’s primaries are a week away, but the state is preparing a do-over of congressional voting after new district lines were approved, while Louisiana suspended primaries and pressed ahead with early ballots even as districts changed.…
3 MIN READThe U.S. Supreme Court on Monday set the stage for Alabama to eliminate one of two largely Black congressional districts before the May midterm elections. The decision overturns a judicial order that had required Alabama to use a…
3 MIN READThe Virginia Supreme Court ruled Friday that the state Democratic-led legislature violated procedural requirements when it put a constitutional amendment on the ballot to allow mid-decade U.S. House redistricting, a decision that benefits…
3 MIN READRepublicans in three Southern states moved forward this week with plans to redraw congressional maps that could eliminate majority-Black districts, facing protests and Democratic accusations of vote dilution. The efforts come after a…
3 MIN READRepublicans in several Southern states advanced election-year redistricting Wednesday, undeterred by protests and objections to plans they say could reshape majority-Black House districts after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last week. The…
3 MIN READTennessee lawmakers approved and Republicans in the state Senate enacted a new U.S. House district map on Thursday amid protests, then sent it to Gov. Bill Lee, who signed it into law. The plan redraws Tennessee’s Memphis-centered…
3 MIN READRepublican lawmakers in Alabama, Tennessee, and Louisiana launched special sessions this week to redraw congressional districts, days after a U.S. Supreme Court decision weakened a key section of the Voting Rights Act and opened the door…
3 MIN READRepublicans have opened a significant advantage in a national redistricting battle after a series of court rulings reshaped the legal landscape governing how states draw congressional districts. A U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down…
4 MIN READThe Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais has gutted a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, setting off a nationwide redistricting war in which Republican-led states are moving to eliminate Democratic congressional districts…
5 MIN READTennessee Republicans began a special legislative session on Tuesday that could redraw the state’s lone Democratic-held U.S. House district centered on Memphis. At the same time, South Carolina Republicans announced they will try to…
3 MIN READRepublicans say court rulings and newly revised congressional maps give them an edge in this year’s elections, while Democrats are also moving to redraw districts in states they say could add House seats. The dispute centers on mid-decade…
3 MIN READThe U.S. Supreme Court’s decision weakening the Voting Rights Act’s restraints on congressional districting is accelerating a Republican and Democratic fight over legislative maps, with states moving to redraw districts after the ruling,…
3 MIN READState lawmakers in Alabama, Tennessee and Louisiana are weighing new congressional district maps after a U.S. Supreme Court decision Monday approved Louisiana’s request to expedite the court’s formal judgment that weakened a key Voting…
3 MIN READRepublican lawmakers in several Southern states moved to redraw U.S. House districts after a recent Supreme Court ruling, as civil rights advocates protested. Tennessee Republicans began a special legislative session aimed at potentially…
3 MIN READThe U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority ruled this week that states may not rely on racial demographics when drawing congressional districts, a decision that critics say guts a core protection of the Voting Rights Act and imperils…
3 MIN READBlack Americans are facing renewed legal and political fights over racial representation after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision this week weakening the Voting Rights Act. The ruling, prompted by a challenge to Louisiana’s congressional…
3 MIN READSteve Marshall is stealing Shomari Figures's seat.
Apple, Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Tesla, Salesforce, Target, PayPal, Intel, Starbucks, and 239 other corporations signed a 2021 coalition demanding voting-rights legislation and are now silent while Republican legislators steal Black congressional seats—and they are refusing to disclose whether their donations bankrolled the theft.
South Carolina Republicans are stealing Jim Clyburn's congressional seat by erasing the Black voters who have elected him for 34 years.
Somewhere in Memphis, a Black voter cast a ballot in the last congressional election in Tennessee's 9th District.
Alabama is stealing an election by throwing out the votes already cast and redrawing the maps to ensure Black voters cannot win.
The Roberts Court is stripping Native American voters of their right to sue under the Voting Rights Act.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People launched its "Out of Bounds" campaign on a Tuesday morning, and it names seven states by name: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, South Carolina.
The floor of the Alabama statehouse does not smell like a cotton gin.
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana on Thursday, a decision that Republican officials in at least five other states are using to redraw voting maps before the November midterms, with Alabama and Tennessee calling special legislative sessions and Florida already passing a new map that could net the GOP up to four seats.
County auditors in South Dakota are interpreting new voter identification requirements inconsistently, with some requiring in-person presentation of a driver’s license and others accepting a photocopy, creating uncertainty for first-time registrants just weeks before the state’s June 2 primary election.
Louisiana Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed legislation Thursday abolishing the elected Orleans Parish criminal court clerk position, days before Calvin Duncan — a Democrat who spent nearly three decades in prison for a crime he did not commit — was set to take office after winning the seat with more than two-thirds of the vote in November.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry suspended the state's U.S. House primaries on April 30, two days before early voting was scheduled to begin, after the Supreme Court struck down a majority-Black congressional district as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The ruling, which significantly weakens the Voting Rights Act, triggered immediate legal challenges and prompted top Republicans to urge other states to redraw their district lines before the November midterms.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) issued an executive order Thursday postponing the state’s May 16 U.S. House primary, citing a Supreme Court ruling that struck down a majority Black congressional district and weakened minority protections under the Voting Rights Act. The suspension, which took effect two days before early voting was to open, temporarily pauses the election until at least July 15 while the Legislature draws new districts.
Louisiana suspended its U.S. House primaries Thursday as early voting was about to begin, after the Supreme Court ruling struck down a majority-Black congressional district and weakened protections under the Voting Rights Act. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry ordered the postponement of the House primary to allow lawmakers time to pass a new map.
South Dakota county election officials are navigating uncertainty over new state voter ID rules that require proof of U.S. citizenship as part of voter registration ahead of the June 2 primary. Conflicting interpretations are emerging over whether a driver’s license must be shown in person or whether a photocopy is sufficient.
The U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down a majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana has intensified redistricting fights in multiple states ahead of the Nov. midterms, Republican governors and legislatures said. Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee announced special sessions or moved congressional primaries as they try to adjust House maps or related elections. Courts have already weighed in on Louisiana’s congressional primary timing, while Georgia’s governor said new congressional maps cannot be changed for this year’s election.
Louisiana Republicans have signed legislation abolishing the Orleans Parish clerk of criminal court position days before exoneree Calvin Duncan—who won the seat—was scheduled to take office, according to state officials.
The Republican-controlled Florida Legislature approved a new congressional map this week, and analysts from both parties say it could cost Democrats up to four U.S. House seats in November. The plan, signed into law after Gov. Ron DeSantis said it would reflect population growth and political leanings, redraws districts using “packing and cracking,” Democrats say, in a way they call a power grab by President Donald Trump.
Black members of Congress and civil-rights advocates said a Supreme Court ruling gutting a key section of the Voting Rights Act would open the way for Republican-led states to redraw congressional districts without regard to race. In response to the decision on Wednesday, lawmakers including Rep. Yvette Clarke warned the change could reduce minority representation, while others said voter mobilization and court challenges are needed.
Florida Republicans passed a new congressional map this week, and Democrats warned it could cost them as many as four U.S. House seats in the midterms. Gov. Ron DeSantis said the redistricting reflects the state’s population growth and political leanings, while Democrats called it a power grab. The new lines use “packing and cracking,” Republicans’ approach to reshaping districts in ways that can shift election outcomes.
Hours after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana congressional map that relied on race, several states moved to adjust their redistricting plans for the 2026 midterms. Florida and Mississippi announced rapid legislative responses, while Louisiana’s lawmakers weighed timing issues before primaries begin. Other states, including Alabama, Tennessee, and Illinois, signaled that litigation schedules and constitutional changes could shape whether maps change this year.
Florida’s legislature on April 29 approved a new congressional map aimed at maximizing Republicans’ advantage in midterm elections, after Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled the proposal two days earlier. The vote came the same day the U.S. Supreme Court rolled back a key Voting Rights Act provision, a decision Democrats said could make it harder to challenge the plan.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority on Wednesday issued a 6-3 ruling that largely removed the Voting Rights Act requirement that districts be drawn to give minority voters a chance to elect representatives of their choosing. With congressional and statehouse mapmaking deadlines already passing in parts of the country, Republicans are urging faster changes as candidates and voters move through primaries.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down a majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, saying it relied too heavily on race. The 6-3 ruling could reshape redistricting nationwide and may affect efforts by Republicans to keep control of the House, with impacts potentially felt more strongly in 2028.
Ron DeSantis called a special legislative session in Florida focused on redistricting and other issues, stepping back into national Republican politics as midterm elections near. At Tuesday’s start of the session, however, House Speaker Daniel Perez declined to advance DeSantis-backed proposals on artificial intelligence and vaccine requirements.
Richmond, Va., April 27 — The Virginia Supreme Court on Monday questioned whether the Democratic-led legislature followed constitutional requirements when it sent a voter-approved U.S. House redistricting plan to voters, in a case that could reshape party power in the chamber. Justices heard arguments on whether an intermediate “election” window in the amendment process was handled too late, Republicans said, to allow lawmakers to place the constitutional change before voters.
California will put a proposal on the November ballot that would tighten voter-registration requirements by requiring proof of U.S. citizenship and would require voters to show identification at polling places, state officials announced. The proposal, backed by Republicans, also would change parts of the state’s mail voting process by requiring voters to provide the last four digits of a government-issued ID.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced he will call a special session for judicial redistricting after the U.S. Supreme Court rules on a Voting Rights Act case, Louisiana v. Callais. Reeves said the Legislature will meet 21 days after the ruling and that a federal decision last August required Mississippi to redraw the state Supreme Court’s electoral map.
Voting and civil rights groups sued Alaska election officials in state court, alleging the state violated its constitution by sharing the state’s full voter registration list with the U.S. Department of Justice. The suit, filed against Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom and Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher, argues the sharing infringes voters’ privacy rights and violates due process by letting the DOJ flag voters for removal without notice or a process to challenge decisions.
Voting and civil rights groups sued Alaska election officials, alleging they violated the state constitution by sharing the state’s full voter registration list with the U.S. Department of Justice. The lawsuit, filed in state court against officials including Republican Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom and election division Director Carol Beecher, challenges a memorandum of understanding they say allows the Justice Department to flag voters for removal without notice or a process to challenge the decisions.
The practice of redrawing U.S. House districts for political advantage—often called gerrymandering—has been part of American politics for more than two centuries. A new round of mid-decade redistricting battles in states has renewed questions about how often lawmakers can redraw maps and whether courts can stop them. A key U.S. Supreme Court ruling says federal courts lack an objective way to decide when partisan gerrymandering goes too far.
Virginia voters approved a mid-decade congressional redistricting plan on Tuesday, backing a constitutional amendment that Democrats say could help them win as many as four additional U.S. House seats in November’s midterm elections. The state Supreme Court is weighing a legal challenge that could determine whether the referendum result stands.
Virginia holds a statewide special election Tuesday with a single ballot question on whether the Democratic-controlled General Assembly should temporarily redraw congressional districts. The measure’s outcome could affect which party controls the U.S. House for the final two years of President Donald Trump’s term, despite there being no candidates on the ballot.
In a ruling April 17, an Arizona Superior Court judge largely sided with Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap in his lawsuit against the county board of supervisors over election operations, giving Heap expanded authority to oversee voting procedures in the state's most populous county. The decision comes as Heap has implemented controversial changes to signature verification on mail ballots and has used a federal system to check voter rolls for noncitizens, drawing criticism from state officials and county board members. The conflict between election administrators is raising concerns about voter confidence in election administration as Arizona approaches its July primary and November general election.
President Donald Trump is endorsing seven primary challengers against Indiana Republican state senators who defied his demand to redraw the state's congressional map, a campaign backed by more than $4.2 million in advertising spending. The effort, which has no recent precedent, will test Trump's influence over Republican Party politics in the May 5 primary.
Republicans and Democrats have been reshaping state congressional districts ahead of the November midterm elections, changing the electoral map in several battleground states. Florida’s Republican-led legislature has approved new House districts that could boost GOP prospects, while Democrats in Virginia recently won voter approval for a new U.S. House map aimed at flipping seats.
Maryland Democrats rejected an effort to redraw the state’s congressional map to improve Democrats’ chances in the midterm elections, a setback for Gov. Wes Moore. The proposal failed as the Maryland General Assembly ended its session late Monday, with Democrats in the Senate leaving the bill in committee.
New York hosted Democratic presidential hopefuls at the National Action Network’s annual convention, where speakers warned that President Donald Trump is undermining Americans’ right to vote in the 2026 midterms. During the Thursday gathering led by Rev. Al Sharpton, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and others argued that Trump’s election-related executive actions could affect who can vote and how. Several candidates framed the fight over voting rights as already shaping the early 2028 presidential contest.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and state Senate Republicans are moving to eliminate an elected Orleans Parish clerk of criminal court post that Calvin Duncan, an exonerated man, won in November. Duncan’s swearing-in was scheduled for May 4 after he won 68% of the vote, but lawmakers voted to scrap the job. He says officials are retaliating against him for seeking to clear his name and for accurately describing his exoneration.
Virginia voters are set to decide April 21 on a constitutional amendment tied to a mid-decade redistricting plan promoted by Democrats. In rural counties, supporters said the new district lines are necessary to compete, while others expressed worry that the change could further entrench Republicans. Early voting began, setting up a potential legal fight if the referendum is approved.
Rural Virginians are debating a proposed mid-decade redistricting referendum backed by Democrats, with voting set for April 21 and early balloting already underway. Supporters and opponents say the change could redraw the state’s 7th and 9th U.S. House districts in ways that shift political power before November’s midterm elections.
Louisa and Goochland County voters are weighing a Democratic-backed referendum on changing Virginia’s congressional districts, with the ballot set for April 21. Supporters in rural communities say it is needed to compete against Republicans, while critics warn the plan will entrench GOP dominance in more conservative areas.
Governors in Florida and Mississippi signed laws requiring officials to verify voters’ citizenship, drawing immediate court challenges in Florida. The Florida measure requires proof such as a birth certificate, passport or naturalization certificate if a voter’s eligibility is challenged. The Mississippi law takes effect July 1 and adds citizenship checks tied to driver’s license information and annual comparisons with an ICE database, as civil rights advocates warn it could burden eligible voters.
Democrats sued President Donald Trump to block his latest executive order restricting who can vote by mail, arguing the Constitution gives that power to states and Congress. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, is led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the Democratic National Committee.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the creation of a nationwide list of verified eligible voters and seeking to restrict mail-in voting, actions that drew immediate legal threats from state election officials. The White House said the order aims to curb fraud allegations, while Democratic officials and voting-law experts argued it illegally encroaches on states’ constitutional role in running elections.
Democrats sued President Donald Trump to block his latest executive order restricting who can vote by mail, arguing that the Constitution gives that authority to states and Congress, not the president. The lawsuit was filed by Sen. Chuck Schumer, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic National Committee and other Democratic organizations, with Trump and senior administration officials named as defendants.
A three-judge panel in Wisconsin dismissed a lawsuit filed by Democratic voters seeking to redraw the state’s congressional district lines ahead of the November midterm election. The panel said it had “no basis” to find the current congressional map invalid and ruled that only the Wisconsin Supreme Court can decide whether redistricting should be ordered.
Democrats in Utah are competing in a newly drawn House district in which a primary focused on progressive policy contrasts with a former congressman’s past positioning. The race centers on Ben McAdams’ effort to portray himself as moderate in tone while he pledges support for abortion rights and a higher minimum wage. The Democratic National Committee chair, Ken Martin, said the campaign is meant to build support among young voters, as the June open primary approaches.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the UCLA Voting Rights Project filed legal challenges this week seeking to stop a Republican sheriff’s seizure and recount of more than half a million 2025 election ballots in Riverside County. The dispute escalated as Bonta urged the court to act quickly, while Sheriff Chad Bianco said his office’s probe was approved by a judge and said it seized additional boxes of election materials.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Missouri judge ruled Friday that new U.S. House districts backed by President Donald Trump can be used ahead of the November midterm elections, rejecting a challenge brought by referendum petition opponents.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has issued an executive order reversing her predecessor’s decision to leave ERIC, the multistate program that helps states share voter-registration and identification data. Voting-rights advocates said the move and an added 90-day restriction on removing ineligible voters ahead of federal elections are meant to reduce the risk of wrongful disenfranchisement.
A federal judge in North Carolina upheld the state’s photo voter identification requirement on Thursday, rejecting arguments from civil rights groups that Republicans enacted it with discriminatory intent. U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs set aside the groups’ claims and ruled the law may continue to be enforced in upcoming elections.
Utah’s new congressional map will likely stay in place beyond this election cycle after a Republican-led initiative to repeal the state’s anti-gerrymandering law failed to qualify for the November ballot, the Associated Press reported. The state’s congressional districts were reshaped by a judge after a lawsuit found the Legislature violated anti-gerrymandering standards when drawing boundaries after the 2020 census.
The Associated Press fact check says misleading claims about how the SAVE America Act would let voters register using driver’s licenses are spreading as the Senate debates the bill. The AP report says that driver’s-license use would depend on whether a license includes documentary proof of U.S. citizenship, such as enhanced driver’s licenses in certain states.
A jury in Racine County convicted Wisconsin resident Harry Wait of election fraud and identity theft after prosecutors said he requested ballots for state House Speaker Robin Vos and Racine Mayor Cory Mason without their consent. Wait was found guilty of two misdemeanor election-fraud counts and one felony identity-theft count, and he was acquitted of a second identity-theft count.
U.S. Supreme Court justices heard arguments on Monday over whether states can count mail ballots that arrive after Election Day, and election officials said a decision could force last-minute changes to November midterm plans. Nevada’s top elections officer described the need to educate voters well before the vote, while election administrators and advocates warned that tighter deadlines could disrupt already-prepared outreach.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Supreme Court upheld a mid-decade congressional redistricting plan backed by President Donald Trump, a ruling that gives Republicans a better path to winning an additional U.S. House seat in the November midterms, according to the Associated Press. Opponents filed a referendum effort after the decision, and other lawsuits are still pending, leaving uncertainty about whether the new map will ultimately take effect.
The Missouri Supreme Court upheld a mid-decade congressional redistricting plan on March 24, a decision that gives Republicans a better chance of winning an additional U.S. House seat in this year’s midterm elections. Opponents have filed more than 300,000 petition signatures seeking a statewide vote on the map, and the new districts could still face further court challenges.
Republicans are holding the Senate floor to debate a federal voting bill they say is needed to prevent illegal voting, President Donald Trump included in support for the measure. Democrats say they do not oppose voter identification in principle, but they argue the GOP bill is too strict and will suppress lawful voters. The bill, known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act or SAVE Act, would require specified proof of identity and would expand Homeland Security access to state voter rolls.
A Missouri state judge on Friday ordered a new description for a ballot proposal that would let voters consider a Trump-backed congressional redistricting plan. The judge acted after Missouri’s Republican secretary of state acknowledged that he crafted an “unfair summary” by describing the existing districts as “gerrymandered.”
ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia appeals court ruled Friday that Fulton County commissioners can reject Republican nominees for the county election board and request other choices. The ruling overturned a contempt finding tied to the county’s prior refusal to seat GOP picks Julie Adams and Jason Frazier.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans began a debate in the Senate on a bill that would require stricter voter registration rules, including proof of U.S. citizenship for new voters and identification at the polls, a move they are using to spotlight the legislation ahead of November’s midterms. The effort is expected to end in a failed vote despite President Donald Trump’s pressure on Republicans to act.
A Senate bill pushed by Senate Republicans would require new voters to prove U.S. citizenship when registering and to show approved identification at the polls, as part of an effort to increase federal oversight of elections. Democrats are expected to block the measure, known as the SAVE America Act, with critics warning it could disenfranchise voters who lack documents such as birth certificates.
The Associated Press reports a New Hampshire voter struggled when poll workers required “proof of citizenship” documents under a new state law, highlighting potential complications if the Republican-backed SAVE America Act passes Congress. The bill cleared the U.S. House last month and is scheduled for Senate debate next week, with opponents arguing the documentary requirements could delay or prevent eligible Americans from registering and voting in federal elections.
The House has cleared a Republican voting bill that would require voters to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register for federal elections, a change that could affect millions of Americans, according to advocates. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE America Act, now heads to the Senate for voting and debate next week, after clearing the House last month.
Senate Republicans plan a long debate next week on a House-passed voting bill to impose stricter proof-of-citizenship requirements, a move Senate Majority Leader John Thune says is aimed at putting Democrats “on the record.” The effort is driven in part by pressure from President Donald Trump, who has made the bill a condition for signing other legislation.
A Jackson County Circuit Court judge on Thursday rejected a lawsuit challenging Missouri’s new U.S. House district map, a plan backed by former President Donald Trump that seeks to give Republicans an extra seat in the 2026 midterm elections. The ruling, issued by Judge Adam Caine, upheld the redistricting plan that reshapes Kansas City’s 5th District and stretches it into heavily Republican rural areas.
The Senate will consider a bill known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE, America Act that would impose stricter proof-of-citizenship requirements for elections, Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday. But Thune said Republicans lack the votes to pass it through a “marathon” talking filibuster demanded by President Donald Trump.
Thousands gathered in Selma, Alabama, on Sunday to mark the 61st anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the March 7, 1965, attack on civil rights marchers that helped spur passage of the Voting Rights Act. The commemoration drew Democratic governors, civil rights leaders, and survivors of the original march to the Edmund Pettus Bridge as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to rule on a case that could limit a core provision of the landmark law.
South Dakota and Utah gave final legislative approval this week to proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration, while Florida, Michigan, and Missouri advanced similar measures, as Republican-controlled states pressed ahead without waiting for a deadlocked U.S. Senate. The federal Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act — backed by President Donald Trump and passed by the Republican-led House on a mostly party-line vote last month — has stalled in the Senate under a Democratic filibuster threat. Federal law already bars noncitizens from voting in U.S. elections; current registration requires applicants to affirm citizenship under penalty of perjury.
U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens, a Utah Republican and former professional football player, said Wednesday he will not seek reelection after a redistricting shakeup left Utah’s four GOP House lawmakers to vie for three seats this fall. Owens, 74, said he will finish his current term and then step away from elected office as Utah’s new congressional map was adopted by a state judge last year.
Former President Barack Obama is backing a Virginia Democratic effort to redraw congressional district lines, urging voters to approve the plan in an April 21 referendum. The proposal, signed into law by Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger, would go into effect only if approved by voters and survives ongoing court challenges.
Texas voters were turned away in Dallas and Williamson counties on Tuesday after local Republicans changed primary voting rules, prompting court fights and threats of more legal action. In Dallas, a judge ordered polling places to stay open past the 7 p.m. deadline, then the Texas Supreme Court stayed both decisions and directed that ballots tied to voters who missed the deadline be separated. The dispute raised concerns in a tight Democratic U.S. Senate race about whether some voters could be disenfranchised.
U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens of Utah said Wednesday he will not seek reelection after a redistricting shakeup left the state’s four Republican House members competing for three seats. Owens, 74, said he will finish his current term and then step away from elected office.
Virginia's Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a statewide referendum on a Democratic-led congressional redistricting plan can proceed as scheduled on April 21, overturning a temporary restraining order issued by a Tazewell County judge and allowing early voting to begin as soon as Friday. The court said it has not yet ruled on whether the mid-decade redistricting effort is constitutional, meaning the April vote could be rendered moot if the justices ultimately uphold the lower court's decision blocking the effort.
Senate Republicans said election-year legislation to require proof of U.S. citizenship to register and vote appears stalled “for now,” even after President Donald Trump urged in his State of the Union speech that GOP lawmakers pass it “before anything else.” The bill, called the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, hinges on Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s efforts to navigate pressure from Trump allies and Democrats’ opposition.
A federal court on Monday rejected a Republican effort to block a new congressional map that improves Democrats' chances of winning a U.S. House seat in Utah. The three-judge federal panel denied a preliminary injunction request and ruled the new districts can be used in this year's election, marking the second recent setback for Republicans who currently hold all four of Utah's House seats.
Republicans asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 19 to stop New York’s redistricting commission from redrawing the boundaries of the only U.S. House seat in New York City held by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis. The request follows a Thursday decision by a New York appeals court that cleared the way for new maps after a state judge tossed out the previous district boundaries. Malliotakis said the Supreme Court has been “unequivocal” that “race-based redistricting violates the U.S. Constitution.”
Primary elections have already taken place in Texas and North Carolina for newly redrawn House districts, yet a nationwide redistricting battle continues to reshape congressional boundaries in multiple states even as full midterm campaigns are underway. Final district boundaries remain uncertain in Missouri and Virginia, where court decisions and legal challenges could alter voting districts before the November elections. The redistricting efforts were triggered last summer when President Donald Trump urged Texas Republicans to redraw House districts to give the Republican Party an advantage in the midterm elections. California's Democratic leaders responded with their own redistricting effort, setting off a tit-for-tat clash that has spread across the country. Republicans believe they could gain as many as nine additional House seats from their redistricting efforts, while Democrats anticipate they could gain six seats in other states. Democrats need to gain only a few seats to win control of the House, which currently has a Republican majority. However, partisan projections carry uncertainty. Trump faces negative approval ratings in polls, and the party in power historically loses seats in midterm elections—factors that could affect voting patterns in November.
Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight urged the Census Bureau to remove a citizenship question from a 2026 practice test, warning it could deter immigrants from participating. The on-the-ground tests in Huntsville, Alabama, and Spartanburg, South Carolina, are scheduled to begin next month.
Republicans asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block changes to New York City’s only GOP U.S. House district after a state appeals court ordered a new map. The request came after a state judge tossed the district lines, and a court of appeals sided with Democrats in a Thursday decision. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis said in a statement that “race-based redistricting violates the U.S. Constitution.”
A Virginia court on Thursday issued a temporary restraining order blocking Democrats' planned April voter referendum to redraw the state's congressional maps, effectively halting a Democratic effort to gain four U.S. House seats in the national mid-decade redistricting battle. Tazewell Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley Jr. granted the order at the request of the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee, and Republican U.S. Representatives Ben Cline and Morgan Griffith, who argued the referendum's timing and phrasing violate state law. Virginia's Democratic Attorney General Jay Jones vowed to appeal.
Virginia’s Supreme Court said Friday that a statewide referendum can be held April 21 on whether to authorize mid-decade congressional redistricting, even as it considers a lawsuit over the plan’s legality. The decision gives Democrats a path to voter approval before the state’s highest court rules later on whether lower-court findings should stand.
Iowa’s top election official and a group of naturalized citizens settled a federal lawsuit on Feb. 11 that would bar the state from relying exclusively on driver’s license records for citizenship data in the three months before an election. The case stemmed from election workers challenging ballots in 2024 after the state flagged about 2,000 registered voters as potential noncitizens.
House Republicans approved legislation Wednesday that would require voters to prove they are U.S. citizens when they register, including through documents such as a passport or birth certificate, and would require photo identification before voting. The bill, called the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE America Act, passed on a mostly party-line vote of 218-213.
A federal judge in North Carolina rejected requests to open early voting sites at three public universities ahead of the state’s March 3 primary, turning away a bid by Democratic Party-linked plaintiffs. U.S. District Judge William Osteen denied a request for a preliminary injunction or temporary restraining order sought by the College Democrats of North Carolina and students.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is facing a lawsuit that challenges whether he has authority to call a special legislative session in April to redraw the state’s congressional map mid-decade, according to a complaint filed Thursday with the Florida Supreme Court. The plaintiffs, backed by the National Redistricting Foundation, argue the governor’s proclamation violates the Florida constitution’s separation of powers.
The Mississippi Senate Elections Committee on Tuesday adopted a measure that would partially restore voters’ ability to bypass the Legislature and put statewide initiatives on the ballot. The proposal would require initiative organizers to collect signatures totaling at least 10% of registered voters—about 170,000 signatures—before a measure could advance to a statewide vote.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed California to use a new, voter-approved congressional district map for this year’s elections, rejecting a last-ditch appeal by state Republicans and the Trump administration. The justices denied the request on the court’s emergency docket without explanation, leaving in place districts designed to flip seats currently held by Republicans.
As the 2026 midterm election approaches, states across the country are moving to redraw U.S. House district boundaries in ways lawmakers believe could improve their party’s chances. The push, which began after President Donald Trump urged Republicans in Texas to redraw districts for political gain, has since spread to other states and faces ongoing court challenges.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah U.S. Reps. Celeste Maloy and Burgess Owens filed a federal lawsuit late Monday seeking to block a court-ordered congressional map that they say would shift new U.S. House districts toward Democrats. The complaint argues a state judge violated the U.S. Constitution by rejecting districts drawn by the Republican-led state Legislature and instead imposing an alternative map submitted by groups including the League of Women Voters of Utah.
TAMPA, Fla., Feb 3 (AP) — A three-judge federal panel in Tampa tossed out a lawsuit brought by Republican groups seeking to add U.S. House seats in Florida by challenging the 2020 census, ruling the case was filed too late. The judges said the plaintiffs should have brought the challenge within four years of the statistical methods used to calculate the census counts.
The Maryland House voted Monday to approve a new congressional map, a mid-decade redistricting that Democrats say could help them win the state’s only Republican-held U.S. House seat. Senate leadership has said since October that the measure lacks enough support to move forward in that chamber, citing concerns it could jeopardize seats Democrats currently hold.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill Saturday expanding the Utah Supreme Court from five justices to seven, a move supporters said would improve efficiency as a redistricting appeal plays out. The court was not asking for more justices, and legal experts and Democrats warned the timing could set a precedent amid tension between the judiciary and the legislature.
A federal judge has blocked certain agencies from assessing citizenship status when distributing federal voter registration forms, a setback to President Donald Trump’s election executive order. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ruled the Constitution’s separation of powers limits what the president can change about election procedures.
A federal judge ruled that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton failed to show a Latino-focused voting-rights nonprofit, Jolt Initiative, violated the law, blocking Paxton from shutting the group down in a state-court proceeding. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman said Paxton offered “any plausible proof” and appeared to be acting in bad faith. The ruling follows earlier litigation between the two sides over Jolt’s voter registration efforts.
House Republicans released a bill Thursday proposing changes to U.S. voting rules that they say would increase confidence ahead of the fall midterm elections. The package includes photo ID and proof of citizenship requirements, as well as faster roll updates, with some provisions scheduled for 2027.
A Virginia judge on Tuesday ruled illegal a proposed constitutional amendment that would have let Democrats redraw the state's congressional districts, dealing a setback to the party's efforts to gain House seats. The decision came as Democrats advanced a new congressional map in neighboring Maryland that could flip the state's only Republican House seat, illustrating different strategies in the national battle over mid-decade redistricting.
Republicans appealed a judge's decision Monday that voided New York City's only GOP-controlled House district, setting the stage for a legal battle with national implications for Congress. The appeal came days after a judge ruled that Rep. Nicole Malliotakis' Staten Island and Brooklyn district was drawn to dilute the voting power of Black and Hispanic residents. The judge ordered the state's Independent Redistricting Commission to redraw the district by February 6, according to the Associated Press.
A judge in Albany ordered new congressional district lines for New York, scrapping the boundaries of the state’s only Republican-held House seat in New York City. The decision, issued Wednesday by Judge Jeffrey Pearlman, gives the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission until Feb. 6 to complete a new map, with candidate petitioning expected to start at the end of February. For Democrats, the ruling creates an opportunity in the national redistricting fight even as Republicans have promised an appeal and the new lines could be delayed or changed.
A New York judge on Friday voided the boundaries of New York City's only Republican-held House district, ruling that its composition unconstitutionally dilutes the votes of Black and Hispanic residents. Justice Jeffrey Pearlman's decision forces the state's Independent Redistricting Commission to draw new lines by February 6—just 16 days before candidate petitioning begins—upending political calculations in a race both parties are fighting to control.
A New York judge voided the boundaries of the state's only Republican-held House district Wednesday, finding they unconstitutionally dilute the votes of Black and Hispanic residents. Justice Jeffrey Pearlman ordered New York's Independent Redistricting Commission to redraw the lines of Rep. Nicole Malliotakis's district, which includes Staten Island and part of Brooklyn, by Feb. 6.
Virginia lawmakers advanced a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow mid-decade congressional redistricting, setting up a voter referendum. The measure passed in the state Senate on Friday, after Democrats voted similarly in the House earlier this week.
Sixteen U.S. senators sent a letter Thursday to U.S. Postal Service Postmaster General David Steiner, warning that recent changes to USPS mail processing operations could cause mail-in ballots to receive postmarks that don't reflect the day voters mailed them — potentially disenfranchising voters in states that use postmark dates to determine ballot eligibility. The bipartisan group, made up of 15 Democrats and one independent who caucuses with the party, said updated agency policy now means postmarks may reflect when mail arrives at a regional processing center rather than when a letter carrier collected it or a voter dropped it at a retail location.
Virginia's Democratic-controlled legislature advanced a proposed constitutional amendment Friday that would authorize mid-decade congressional redistricting, sending the question to voters in a referendum expected as early as April and joining a nationwide partisan battle over U.S. House district boundaries ahead of the 2026 elections.
A state appeals court in Alaska is set to decide whether to dismiss felony voter misconduct charges against a woman born in American Samoa, whose case has drawn attention to the territory’s unusual citizenship rules. The Alaska Court of Appeals heard arguments Thursday in the case against Tupe Smith, arrested after winning a regional school board election in 2023.
A federal three-judge panel ruled 2-1 on Wednesday that California may use its new voter-approved congressional map for the 2026 midterm elections, denying requests from state Republicans and the U.S. Justice Department to block the map on the grounds that it unconstitutionally favored Hispanic voters on racial lines.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Wednesday he wants the Democratic-controlled state legislature to vote on a new congressional map, pressing ahead with a mid-decade redistricting effort as the state's annual 90-day legislative session began in Annapolis. The move came despite warnings from Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson, a fellow Democrat, that the push could cost the party seats rather than gain one.
Federal judges ruled Wednesday that California can use a new, voter-approved U.S. House district map for the 2026 election, rejecting efforts by state Republicans and the U.S. Justice Department to block it. In a 2-1 decision by a three-judge panel in Los Angeles, the court denied requests seeking to stop the map from being used in future elections.
Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore said Wednesday he wants Maryland to move forward with redrawing the state’s congressional map and have the Democratic-controlled legislature vote on the recommendations of a commission he appointed. The call comes as Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson has warned that mid-decade redistricting could jeopardize Democratic seats, including at least one now held by Republican Rep. Andy Harris.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday revived a Republican challenge to an Illinois law that allows late-arriving mail ballots to be counted, in a dispute that has drawn attention from President Donald Trump. In a 7-2 decision, the majority said candidates can sue over election rules even without showing their votes changed the outcome. The court did not decide whether late-arriving mail-in ballots should be counted, and instead said it will hear another case on the broader question this spring.
President Donald Trump's unusual mid-decade redistricting campaign stands at a pivotal moment as state legislative sessions open this week, with Virginia Democrats and Florida Republicans preparing to press forward even as resistance in several other targeted states suggests the movement may have lost momentum. Indiana's Republican-led Senate dealt the effort its sharpest setback in December, defeating a plan that could have helped the GOP win all nine of the state's U.S. House seats.
Two federal lawsuits filed by allies of President Donald Trump could determine who gets counted in the 2030 census and what methods the Census Bureau may use — outcomes that would affect congressional representation and the distribution of $2.8 trillion in federal aid to the states, the Associated Press reported Saturday. The cases are pending in Florida and Louisiana, and the Census Bureau itself is pushing ahead with planning for the next decennial count regardless of the litigation.
President Donald Trump’s plan to reshape voting districts for partisan advantage ahead of the 2026 midterm elections is entering a critical phase as state legislatures return for new sessions and some key setbacks and legal questions narrow the path ahead, according to an Associated Press analysis. The next moves in Virginia and Florida will be watched closely, while Illinois, Maryland and Kansas face internal resistance to further congressional remapping.
The United States’ next decennial census is four years away, but two federal lawsuits filed this year could affect how the 2030 count is conducted and who is counted. The cases, backed by allies of President Donald Trump, target separate parts of how the Census Bureau plans for the once-a-decade census.
Republican and Democratic officials in roughly one-third of U.S. states have considered revising their congressional districts since President Donald Trump began pressing for mid-decade remapping to help House Republicans maintain their slim majority ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, according to an Associated Press review. Six states have already adopted new maps through legislative action, court order, or commission vote. More are expected to weigh redistricting as legislative sessions open this year.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday he plans to call a special legislative session in April for the Republican-dominated Legislature to redraw the state's congressional districts, joining a multi-state redistricting push backed by President Donald Trump that could affect control of the U.S. House in the 2026 midterms. DeSantis, speaking at a news conference in Steinhatchee, Florida, said he wanted to wait for an expected U.S. Supreme Court ruling on a key provision of the Voting Rights Act before proceeding with new maps.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he plans to call a special session in April to redraw the state’s congressional districts, adding to a mid-decade redistricting push by several Republican-led states. DeSantis said he wants to wait for a U.S. Supreme Court ruling expected to affect the scope of a Voting Rights Act provision before the Legislature redraws the maps.
