Supreme Court faces new criticism for redistricting decision so close to 2026 elections

Supreme CourtSupreme Court faces new criticism for redistricting decision so close to the 2026 electionsJustices have said judges should not interfere in election disputes so close to the primary process, but their own rulings have triggered a frenzy to draw new congressional maps.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Chief Justice John Roberts recently complained that Americans view the justices as "political actors."Graeme Sloan / Bloomberg via Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 13, 2026, 12:45 PM EDTBy Lawrence HurleyWASHINGTON — The Supreme Court has frequently admonished judges not to interfere in election cases when the process is already underway, but it is now being accused of doing exactly that in recent decisions favoring Republicans in redistricting fights.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The court’s ruling in a case from Louisiana that weakened the Voting Rights Act has set off a frenzy in some Republican-led states to draw new congressional maps that favor their party. The stakes are high ahead of this year’s midterm elections that will determine which party controls the House.The court released its ruling, centered on Louisiana’s map but with national implications, less than three weeks before that state’s congressional primary and after delaying action on the case for more than a year. Now, Louisiana and Alabama are moving back their primaries to reset their districts, and other states could follow.The court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, further expedited the process by granting special requests filed by Louisiana and Alabama, allowing the states to move forward with new maps that will eliminate majority-Black districts held by Democrats.Add NBC News to GoogleSCOTUS Voting Rights ruling ignores ‘over 100 years of history’: Congressional Black Caucus member08:28In Louisiana, some ballots had already been returned when Gov. Jeff Landry annou...