Trending Now - Voter Confusion Grows Amid Ongoing Gerrymandering Issues
WHO:
NPR - Chris Piper, Virginia's former top voting official
NPR - Jeff Landry, Republican governor of Louisiana
NPR - Sarah Whittington, advocacy director at the ACLU of Louisiana
NPR - Nick Troiano, executive director of Unite America
NPR - Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, executive director of Ballot Initiative Strategy Center
NPR - Karen Brinson Bell, former chief election official of North Carolina
WHAT:
NPR - The Virginia Supreme Court invalidated a Democrat-backed gerrymandering referendum, which had been approved by voters, stating that Democratic lawmakers did not follow the legislative process correctly.
NPR - The new congressional maps in Virginia would have potentially given Democrats four more House seats.
NPR - Tens of thousands of absentee ballots had already been cast in Louisiana before the postponement of the U.S. House primaries.
NPR - The Supreme Court cleared the way for Alabama to change its congressional map following the recent decision regarding the Voting Rights Act.
NPR - A congressional map in Virginia was thrown out by a court after voters approved it.
NPR - Voting for U.S. House primaries in Louisiana was postponed after absentee ballots had already been mailed out.
NPR - The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana congressional map.
NPR - More than 3 million Virginians voted in a referendum regarding the congressional map.
NPR - Approximately 90% of congressional races were uncompetitive before the redistricting battle, which has increased to about 93%.
WHERE:
NPR - Virginia
NPR - Louisiana
NPR - Alabama
WHEN:
NPR - The announcement to postpone voting in Louisiana came days before in-person early voting was set to begin.
WHY:
NPR - The recent legal rulings and changes in election rules are seen as politically motivated, contributing to voter disenfranchisement and confusion among voters.
NPR - The redistricting battle is focused on which political party will control Congress.
NPR - The Supreme Court's conservative majority severely neutered the Voting Rights Act, prompting Republican-led states to draw more seats favoring the GOP.
NPR - Changes in election rules at the last minute are politically motivated and contribute to voter disenfranchisement.
HOW:
NPR - Legal challenges have been filed regarding the primary postponement in Louisiana.
NPR - The Supreme Court cleared the way for Alabama to change its congressional map following the Voting Rights Act decision.
(UPDATED May 14, 2026 19:32 UTC)
The Virginia Supreme Court has invalidated a Democrat-backed gerrymandering referendum that voters had approved, ruling that Democratic lawmakers did not adhere to the proper legislative process. This decision comes as tens of thousands of absentee ballots had already been cast in Louisiana before the postponement of the U.S. House primaries, while the Supreme Court has also cleared the way for Alabama to modify its congressional map following a recent ruling on the Voting Rights Act. These legal developments are raising concerns about potential voter disenfranchisement and confusion among the electorate.
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(UPDATED May 14, 2026 17:38 UTC)
A court in Virginia has thrown out a congressional map that was previously approved by voters, while in Louisiana, voting for U.S. House primaries has been postponed just days before early in-person voting was set to begin, despite absentee ballots already being mailed out. The U.S. Supreme Court has also struck down a Louisiana congressional map, and legal challenges are emerging regarding the primary postponement in that state. This redistricting battle is intensifying as it focuses on which political party will control Congress, with changes in election rules raising concerns about voter disenfranchisement.