On May 15, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an order in Robinson v Callais, 23A994. It says the Louisiana legislature’s latest law (passed in April 2024) on the boundaries of 2024 U.S. House districts can take effect. The original redistricting plan had been held to violate the Voting Rights Act. The legislature’s new plan changed the district boundaries to provide two, not one, majority-black districts.

After the legislature’s second plan had been enacted, opponents of that play won a stay from a U.S. District Court against those new districts, on the grounds that the new districts emphasize race too much. But the district court’s latest decision is now stayed. Today the U.S. Supreme Court issued a short order, saying the Purcell Principle determines the matter, at least for the 2024 election. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, writing here that the Purcell Principle (which says federal courts shouldn’t make last-minute election law changes) does not apply, because the election is almost six months away. Louisiana doesn’t have congressional primaries; it just has elections, held in November for congress. If no one gets a majority, there is a run-off in December.

On May 10, the Illinois Republican Party filed a lawsuit in state court to block the new law that eliminates the ability of parties to nominate candidates for state legislature after the March primary is over. Collazo v Illinois State Board of Elections, Sangamon County Circuit Court, 2024CH-000032.

The lawsuit says it violates due process to pass a bill that restricts ballot access and make it effective immediately.

On May 14, the Second Circuit heard oral argument in Meadors v Erie County Board of Elections, 23-1054. This is the challenge to New York’s May petition deadline. The U.S. District Court Jagistrate had upheld it. The petition deadline had been in September or August in the entire history of ballot access laws in New York, until 2019 when the legislature moved it to May. See this Courtouse News Story.