Southern states rig voting maps after Callais decision. Election deniers running for office in 53 states. Virginia Supreme Court vacates special election results.
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Welcome to Fair Elections Alert, your rundown of key attacks against voting rights and independent elections across the country over the past week. It’s a way to keep up with what the opponents of democracy are focused on. We’ll highlight critical updates you need to be aware of, with a spotlight on the South, the original frontline in the fight for voting rights.
“You cannot take a majority Black city, fracture its voting power, and then tell us race has nothing to do with it. Racism does not become less racist because it’s called partisan.” – Tennessee Sen. London Lamar, a Democrat from Memphis, on the state’s newly passed congressional map that splits the majority-Black city of Memphis into 3 legislative districts.
After the Callais Decision, Southern States are Rushing to Rig Congressional Maps: Within Hours of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, Southern Republican politicians across the South moved quickly to redraw their states’ congressional maps. But the opposition has moved just as fast with an unprecedented on-the-ground response. Leaders in each state have organized their communities to turn out hundreds of people flooding state capitols, fighting back against this blitz to erase Black and brown voters' right to fair representation.
Alabama: The Alabama Attorney General’s office asked a district court to lift an injunction preventing the state from redrawing congressional maps through 2030, citing the US Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v Callais. At the same time, the Alabama legislature voted to approve measures that would authorize the state to stop the ongoing May 19 primary and call a special primary election using maps that were previously struck down under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, if allowed by the federal court. Florida: Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a new congressional map that is expected to be in effect for the August primaries. The district changes, which affect 21 of the state’s 28 districts, will cost taxpayers millions as county elections officials will need to notify voters of those changes. Louisiana: The Louisiana Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee heard testimony about proposals to redraw the state’s congressional map with a vote on a map expected early next week. Tennessee: The Tennessee legislature passed a new US congressional map that splits the majority-Black city of Memphis into 3 legislative seats to create a map where Republicans are favored in all 9 of the state’s districts. South Carolina: The South Carolina House moved to cancel the state’s June 9 primary and move it to August 11 to allow for more time and allow for lawmakers to return after adjournment to take up congressional redistricting. Iowa Joins 16 Other States In Willfully Providing Voter Roll Data to the Department of Justice: Secretary of State Paul Pate (R) announced that the state complied with a request from the Department of Justice for voter roll data, claiming they were obligated to provide it. According to tracking from NBC, 16 other states who have willfully provided voter data. Election Deniers Are Running For Statewide Positions to Influence Elections: An analysis by States United Action found that, in 23 states, at least 53 election deniers are running for statewide positions that directly interact with elections (secretary of state, governor, or attorney general).
Georgia • Judge Denied Fulton County’s Request for Return of 2020 Ballots Seized In FBI Raid: U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee rejected Fulton County’s request for the Department of Justice to return 2020 election records seized by the FBI in January. Boulee described the FBI raid as “in many ways unprecedented” and the reliance on previously debunked conspiracy theories as “troubling.” However, he concluded that county officials had not met the high legal bar for the return of the seized materials.
At about the same time, the Fulton County Board of Elections sought to block an unprecedented Department of Justice subpoena for the personal information of thousands of election staffers, poll workers, and volunteers from the 2020 election. Louisiana • More Than 42,000 Voters Voted Before Gov Landry Suspended US House Primaries: The Louisiana Secretary of State received more than 42,000 absentee ballots from voters for the May 16 election by the time that Gov Jeff Landry (R) suspended the US House primaries. However, voting for the other contests on the May 16 ballot are ongoing, including for US Senate, causing a “huge mess” of voter confusion. Landry pushed the primaries to July 15 as state lawmakers prepare to vote on a new congressional map next week. Tennessee • Legislature Passes New Congressional Map and Eliminates Requirement to Notify Voters of New Districts: In order to pass the newly gerrymandered congressional maps, the Tennessee legislature had to repeal an over 50-year-old prohibition on mid-decade redistricting, which was passed through HB 7001. An amendment included in that bill changes current state law from requiring county election commissions to “immediately” notify voters by mail and via newspapers when their polling place or precinct changed due to redistricting to only requiring county election commissions and the secretary of state to post a notice on their “official website.” Virginia • State Supreme Court Tosses Results of Special Election on New Congressional Map: In a 4-3 ruling, the Virginia Supreme Court struck down the new congressional map approved by voters during the April special election. The court ruled that the state legislature had violated procedural rules while passing a constitutional amendment on redistricting and placing it on the ballot. As Democracy Docket wrote, “In effect, the court overruled the will of Virginia’s voters after the election had already taken place.” Wisconsin • FBI Agent Interviewed Senior Election Official On 2020 Election: A FBI agent recently interviewed Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) deputy administrator Robert Kehoe about the 2020 presidential election, how elections are administered in the state, and “various election theories.” According to sources, Kehoe debunked false claims and clarified how elections work.
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EIN Working to Expand Its 30 State Coalitions: The Election Integrity Network announced that it appointed Andrew Mangione, who recently was the Senior Vice President of AMAC Action, as its new Director of Coalition & Engagement. Their press release stated that Mangione in his new role will “expand EIN’s thirty state coalitions, mobilize citizen volunteers, and advance legislative and partnership efforts to protect election integrity across the country.” Leonard Leo-Affiliated Group, Judicial Watch, to Receive Oregon Voter Data Annually: In 2024, Judicial Watch, an anti-voting legal organization, the Constitution Party of Oregon, and two individual plaintiffs sued the state of Oregon, claiming that they failed to proactively remove people from the state’s voter rolls. In a recent settlement, Secretary of State Tobias Read (D) agreed to update their practices and annually share voter data, including about inactive voters, for 5 years with the plaintiffs. “We go after low-hanging fruit, and Oregon was low-hanging fruit,” Robert Popper, an attorney with Judicial Watch, said of their lawsuit.
Paid for by Fair Fight Action.
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