Southern States Are Rising Up
Protests are planned Monday and Tuesday in several Southern cities against far-right election rigging
After Wednesday’s Supreme Court ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, far-right elected officials in Southern states are scrambling to try to redraw voting maps mid-cycle — as mobilize.us put it, “without voter input, without transparency, and without shame.”
The Callais ruling is giving far-right legislators and governors an opportunity to prevent Black and Brown citizens a say in who represents them.
Tomorrow, in New Orleans, Montgomery, and Nashville, voters are mobilizing to defend their right to vote and their right to representation.
The events include:
LOUISIANA: Flood the Polls, Fill the Streets
Gov. Jeff Landry canceled Louisiana’s U.S. House primaries — not the entire primary — after absentee ballots were sent and early voting was set to start. His far-right crony legislators are racing to redraw the state’s congressional map to eliminate majority-Black districts. Everyone who supports democracy in Louisiana is encouraged to vote, to call the governor and their state legislators, and make their voices heard.
A rally is planned for 8 a.m. tomorrow at the criminal courthouse at 2700 Tulane Avenue in Louisiana. Find out more here.
ALABAMA: NO to a Special Session to Redraw Maps
Following in Landry’s dirty footsteps, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is trying to suspend her state’s May 19 congressional primary to get a rigged voting map passed in a special session. A 3 p.m. Monday rally at the Alabama State House at 11 South Union Street in Montgomery will let Ivey and far-right legislators know what the state’s voters think of their anti-democratic efforts. Find out more here.
TENNESSEE: NO to a Special Session to Redraw Maps
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee called a special session for May 5 with only four days’ notice to redraw congressional maps — without public input, if possible. At noon on Tuesday, people from across the state will rally at the state Capitol at 600 Dr. MLK Jr. Boulevard in Nashville to say no to any new maps that disenfranchise Black and Brown voters. Find out more here.
Protests will continue across the South this week. Keep watching this space for more coverage about the push-back on the ground.
Thanks so much for the report. It's clearly illegal for states to act on this after ballots have been sent to voters.
So great to see this!!!!