Southern States Discard Early House Primary Ballots

Thousands of voters across several Southern states have cast early ballots in U.S. House primaries that election officials say will not be counted, as Republican-led legislatures redraw congressional maps amid ongoing primary seasons. The disruptions stem from a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last month that weakened the Voting Rights Act, prompting states including Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, Mississippi and Florida to revise district boundaries originally drawn in 2021.

In Louisiana, nearly 179,000 primary ballots had been cast as of Friday, including about 53,000 absentee votes returned by mail, according to the secretary of state's office. The state's primary is scheduled for Saturday, following a week of early voting that began May 2, two days after Republican Gov. Jeff Landry declared an emergency and suspended congressional primaries to allow lawmakers time to produce a new map. Voters on those ballots selected candidates for House races, but officials stated those votes would be discarded if new districts are adopted.

The changes have sown confusion among voters and local officials. In New Orleans, 66-year-old Sallie Davis voted early last week for...