Louisiana
Federal judge strikes down Louisiana state electoral maps, orders districts redrawn
A federal judge in Louisiana struck down Louisiana state House and Senate districting maps Thursday for violating Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) and diluting Black voter power in the gulf state. Federal District Judge Shelly Dick ordered the the maps redrawn but did not give a quota for the number of majority Black districts the state needed to add instead citing the plaintiffs proffered evidence that six black majority seats in the House and three black majority seats in the Senate could be added. No timeline was given for the new maps to be redrawn but Judge Dick ordered the state be given a “reasonable amount of time” to do so.
The underlying case, Nairne v. Ardoin, alleging the state’s 2022 redistricting plans violated the VRA was first filed in March of 2022. The case languished in the courts pending the US Supreme Court’s decision in a similar voting rights case in Alabama, known as Allen v. Milligan. After the Supreme Court found an Alabama map violated of the VRA and upheld existing principles undergirding the judicial system’s analysis for racial gerrymandering, the Louisiana case was unpaused and went to trial in November 2023.
The plaintiffs specifically attacked Louisiana’s maps for engaging in “cracking” and “packing” districts to dilute Black voter power and ensure a Republican super-majority in the Louisiana legislature. Conversely, counsel for then-Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, defended the maps and attacked Section 2 of the VRA as unconstitutional. In a court filing, Ardoin said that the acts “inherently race-based remedies as applied to the facts in this matter…were not congruent and proportion…to authorize race based redistricting indefinitely.”
Ultimately, the court rejected Ardoin’s arguments as being the same as the one recently rejected in Allen. The court held that the maps gave Black voters in the district “less opportunity than other members of the electorate to participate in the political process and to elect representatives of their choice.”
The case over Louisiana’s state electoral maps comes amid a series of other case concerning congressional maps in the state and a trend of disenfranchisement cases across the Deep South. Included among the trend are cases in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and North Carolina.
Louisiana
Louisiana State Games boxing comes to West Monroe
WEST MONROE, La. (KNOE) – The City of West Monroe announced the 2026 Louisiana State Games are coming to West Monroe this weekend, with athletes from across the state set to compete at The Rec at 7th Square.
According to officials matches begin at 6 p.m. Saturday and continue at 1 p.m. Sunday. Spectators are invited to attend and support the boxers.
- Event location: The Rec at 7th Square on 1802 North 7th Street
- Dates: Saturday–Sunday, June 27–28
Admission details, boxer registration information, and sponsorship opportunities are available in the event graphics, here.
Copyright 2026 KNOE. All rights reserved.
Louisiana
Polls open for Louisiana runoff election | Everything you need to know
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – It’s Election Day, and many voters are deciding on some closely watched primary run-offs, which will determine who appears on the ballot in November.
Polls are open as of 7 a.m. on June 27 and will close at 8 p.m. You will still be able to vote as long as you are in line by 8 p.m.
Election coverage
Fox 8 will bring you analysis as the numbers come in. Our election coverage starts at 9 p.m. on our streaming apps and online.
Who’s on the ballot?
Today is the Republican primary runoff between Stephanie Hilferty and John Young for Louisiana Public Service Commission District 1.
And in the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 1 race, Joseph Cao and Ellie Schroder are going head-to-head.
Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming and Congresswoman Julia Letlow face off for the Republican U.S Senate nomination.
This week, a JMC Analytics poll put Fleming five points higher than Letlow.
Gary Crockett and Jamie Davis are the two candidates on the U.S Senate Democratic ballot.
On May 16, Davis got 47 percent of the vote statewide in the Democratic primary. Crockett got 26 percent of the vote.
Fox 8 interviewed the Republican and Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate. You can watch those interviews below:
Voters will also decide how much they want to fund 140 St. Tammany sheriff’s deputies. Fox 8 covered this proposal extensively, and voters can learn more HERE.
New party primary rules
In June 27th’s runoff, voters must stick with the same party they selected in the May election. For example, those who voted Republican in May must vote Republican in this runoff.
However, in the November general election, all voters can select any candidate on the ballot regardless of party.
The Louisiana Secretary of State website lists requirements voters should know before heading to the polls.
What should I bring?
Be prepared to show one of the following before voting:
- a driver’s license;
- a Louisiana Special ID;
- LA Wallet digital driver’s license;
- a United States military identification card that contains your name and picture; or
- some other generally recognized picture ID that contains your name and signature.
Where do I vote?
You can use the Louisiana Voter Portal to find where you vote on election day, or you can call your parish Registrar of Voters Office. Your voter information card, which is sent by mail, lists your polling place.
Click HERE to find your voting precinct by entering personal information, such as your zip code. This method gives you the most specific information.
Can I vote by mail?
In Louisiana, only certain citizens can vote by mail, including:
- military or overseas citizens;
- senior citizens (65+);
- voters with disabilities;
- higher education students & professors;
- religious clergy;
- voters temporarily absent during early voting and election day;
- voters who moved to a new parish more than 100 miles from former residence within 30 days of election;
- persons involuntarily confined to institution;
- sequestered jurors;
- voters hospitalized or who expect to be hospitalized during early voting and election day;
- voters employed upon state waters;
- voters incarcerated for non-felony with sheriff’s certification; and
- participants in the state’s address confidentiality program.
For more information, click HERE.
What if I have a disability?
People with visual impairments and the person assisting them in voting may go to the front of the line at their polling place.
According to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website, a voter is entitled to receive assistance while voting if they are unable to read or unable to vote without assistance because of a physical disability, including being visually impaired. A voter may choose to use the audio ballot instead of receiving assistance.
However, voters must either file a statement with the registrar in person or by mail before the election if they need assistance in voting or complete an affidavit and/or provide specific documentation to the commissioner on election day.
For more information, click HERE.
Rules on advocating
According to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website, you should never wear, hand out, or display anything advocating for or against any candidate, proposition, or political party appearing on the ballot in the election while voting. All polling places have a 600 foot campaign free zone.
To see what exactly will be on your ballot, find polling locations, and more, you can go to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website HERE.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.
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Copyright 2026 WVUE. All rights reserved.
Louisiana
Southern football’s Marshall Faulk visits Central Louisiana
ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) – After being hired as the new head coach of the Southern Jaguars, Marshall Faulk made the trip to Central Louisiana to help promote his program.
“These are my eyes for the talent in this area,” Faulk told KALB. “We’re aggressive about recruiting the State of Louisiana, and so when there’s good talent and players coming up here, hanging out with some of the people that I know.”
Southern is Faulk’s first head coaching job after spending last season as an assistant at Colorado.
“I’ve done a lot of stuff in the states that I’ve lived,” Faulk said. “Being born here, I hadn’t done a lot around helping youth sports and helping kids in this environment. I’ve got a lot of information and education around football and things that I can give, and this is a great opportunity to give back.”
The Jaguars only won two games in 2025, but are just two years removed from a SWAC Championship Game appearance.
“Just the guys learning how to practice their willingness to learn,” Faulk said on the traits he’s seen thus far from his team. “They’re wanting their desire to get better, and that’s all you want.”
Southern opens up their season on August 29 against Alabama State at the Birmingham Football Classic.
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Copyright 2026 KALB. All rights reserved.
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