Appeals Court Orders Louisiana to Draw New Congressional Map

An appeals court has ordered Louisiana’s GOP-led legislature to draw up a new congressional map after a lower court found the current one is likely unfair.

Election officers hand out "I Voted" stickers at the VCU Institute for Contemporary Art on Election Day in Richmond, Va., on Nov. 8, 2022. Ryan M. Kelly/AFP/Getty Images

A federal appeals court has set a mid-January deadline for the Louisiana state Legislature to draw up a new congressional map, the latest in a long-running legal dispute that included a lower court ruling that the current map likely unfairly diluted the power of black voters.

A three-judge panel for the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued its order on Nov. 10, requiring the state Legislature to approve a new map by Jan. 15, 2024.