Virginia won’t use new congressional map for midterms, governor says

• Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) said the state will hold its 2026 congressional elections under its existing map.
  
  
• The move comes after the state Supreme Court nullified a referendum in which voters approved a map that would likely have given Democrats four additional seats.
  
  
• Spanberger called a pending request by Democrats to the U.S. Supreme Court “important,” but suggested the state’s May 12 deadline for map changes effectively blocked Democrats from using their proposal.
  
  
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Report: Trump White House is quietly building a national voter list

• The Trump administration is building a national voter database to help implement the president’s latest anti-voting order, which is being challenged in court, ahead of the midterm elections.
  
  
• White House officials have been meeting with leaders from the Department of Justice (DOJ), Homeland Security and the U.S. Postal Service to advance the administration’s plans, according to a report from NOTUS.
  
  
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Louisiana State Senate passes GOP gerrymander, erasing majority-Black district

• The Louisiana Senate voted to eliminate one of the state’s two majority-Black congressional districts, continuing the GOP’s effort to gerrymander across the South.
  
  
• In a 27-10 vote, the chamber passed a bill that would draw out the district represented by Rep. Cleo Fields (D) and replace it with one that is more likely to vote Republican.
  
  
• The Louisiana House is expected to take up the bill next week. It must pass both chambers before the legislative session ends on June 1.
  
  
• Read more about the bill >>>

Tennessee GOP racially targeted Black voters in gerrymander, lawsuit alleges

• The NAACP and other pro-voting groups filed a federal lawsuit arguing that Tennessee’s new pro-GOP gerrymander intentionally discriminated against Black voters in violation of the 14th and 15th Amendments.
  
  
• It’s the fourth lawsuit filed against the gerrymander — and a major shift from the NAACP’s first challenge, which largely focused on whether state Republicans violated state law by rushing through a mid-decade redistricting plan.
  
  
• A federal judge rejected a request by Tennessee Democrats to temporarily pause the discriminatory map in a separate lawsuit. Plaintiffs argued the map would “wreak chaos,” cause voter confusion and disrupt election administration during the midterms.
  
  
• Learn more about the NAACP lawsuit >>>

South Carolina governor calls special session to pass new gerrymander

• Gov. Henry McMaster (R) called lawmakers back to vote on redrawing the state’s congressional map to eliminate its lone majority-Black district.
  
  
• It wasn’t a surprise: McMaster signaled earlier this week that he would call a special session to take up redistricting.
  
  
• The move comes as the state approaches its June 9 primary election day. In fact, some absentee ballots have already been cast.
  
  
• What happens next? >>>

FBI visits home of Milwaukee election official

• In the latest sign that the Trump administration is probing the results of the 2020 presidential race in Wisconsin, the Milwaukee County clerk said an FBI agent visited the home of the county’s elections director earlier this week in an attempt to question her.
  
  

• “No dedicated public servant should be subjected to that type of intrusion simply for carrying out her responsibilities with integrity and professionalism,” Milwaukee County Clerk George Christenson said in a statement. 
  
  

• Earlier this month, the FBI questioned Wisconsin Elections Commission deputy administrator Robert Kehoe.
  
  

• Read more about the FBI’s latest visit >>>

After Missouri Supreme Court ruling, state drags feet to deny voters a voice on gerrymander

• The Missouri Supreme Court sent a clear message when it ruled that the state did not have to pause the implementation of a pro-GOP gerrymander despite a pending challenge.
  
  
• Republicans have a green light to drag their feet and deny voters a chance to weigh in on it.
  
  
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Coming up tomorrow

• Equal Ground Education Fund and state voters filed a lawsuit in state court challenging the Florida legislature’s new gerrymandered congressional map. The court will hold a hearing on plaintiffs’ motion to temporarily block the gerrymander
  
  
• Learn more about the case >>>