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Is primary season too late to redraw the maps? Not when Congress is up for grabs.

In the run-up to the U.S. Supreme Court鈥檚 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, many political strategists on both sides of the aisle had predicted significant impacts on Black representation, as well as on the partisan balance in the U.S. House of Representatives. But with this year鈥檚 election season in full swing by the time the ruling came out, most thought the bulk of those changes would happen in future political cycles 鈥� 2028 or beyond.

The past two weeks, however, have featured a flurry of moves directly affecting this year鈥檚 elections.

Two court rulings have helped Republicans pull ahead in the mid-cycle redistricting fight, potentially netting the GOP six to seven House seats, . And despite primaries that are already in process or fast approaching, at least four southern states are pursuing new GOP-favorable maps in a post-Callais redrawing frenzy. In doing so, they are upending preconceived notions about how and when voting should take place, demonstrating that there is more fluidity than previously assumed around things like filing deadlines and primary dates 鈥� particularly when control of the House is on the line.

Lawsuits have already been filed in several of these states, and legal questions abound.

鈥淭his is a more chaotic process than it needed to be,鈥� says Kareem Crayton, vice president at the Brennan Center for Justice. 鈥淲hile we depend on the Supreme Court and the judiciary in general to give us standards to help limit the chaos, this court has done the opposite. How does anyone, even on the right, look at this and not see chaos? I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 good for democracy.鈥�

Asked on Tuesday about concerns that voters may be confused about all the changing maps and dates, President Donald Trump told reporters: 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 been a wonderful process.鈥�

鈥淚t looks like we鈥檙e going to pick up a lot of seats,鈥� the president added. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a good thing.鈥�

Democrats are still favored to win control of the House, with the president鈥檚 approval ratings now down in the 30s, and the price of gas soaring. Polls show most voters are unhappy about the Iran war and the cost of living. But the new maps being adopted in many states could give Republicans some protection against these political headwinds, especially after the Virginia Supreme Court overturned that state鈥檚 redistricting referendum, which would have added four Democratic seats.

Just one month ago, Virginia Democrats鈥� redistricting referendum and Florida Republicans鈥� special legislative session were seen as the final rounds in the mid-cycle redistricting war that saw eight states redraw their maps. After months of political maneuvering, Washington pressure campaigns, and special elections, it had looked like the redistricting back-and-forth would end in a wash.

Then came the Supreme Court鈥檚 late April ruling that Louisiana鈥檚 congressional map was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The decision significantly narrowed Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, and opened the door for states to eliminate many majority-minority districts.

And despite predictions that it was too late to be actionable this election cycle, many states have sprung into action.

鈥淎TTENTION! NOTICE OF CANCELLATION,鈥� reads a piece of white computer paper taped to the front door of the Acadia Parish Registrar of Voters office at the end of the main street in Crowley, Louisiana. The election for the U.S. Representative for the state鈥檚 3rd Congressional District has been cancelled due to an executive order, the notice goes on to say, 鈥渁nd any votes cast for this race will not be counted.鈥�

Louisiana had already received absentee ballots, and early voting was set to begin in just two days when the governor abruptly cancelled the state鈥檚 congressional primaries. Now those absentee ballots are set to be discarded, with Louisiana鈥檚 House elections postponed to a tentative new date of July 15. The state legislature is expected to vote , with the expectation that one of the two majority Black districts will be eliminated.

Not every state considering new maps has decided to go forward.

South Carolina鈥檚 legislature declined to move ahead on a new map Tuesday that would have eliminated the state鈥檚 lone Democratic seat. In the state senate, five Republicans joined all Democrats in defying the wishes of President Trump, who had issued a Truth Social post the day before encouraging South Carolina to 鈥淏E BOLD AND COURAGEOUS鈥� and saying he would be 鈥渨atching closely.鈥�

But other states have moved ahead with remarkable speed. Last week, Tennessee鈥檚 governor signed a new map into law that eliminated the state鈥檚 sole Democratic seat.

On Monday, the Supreme Court cleared the way for Alabama to use a 2023 congressional map, which reduces the state鈥檚 majority-Black districts from two to one. Republican Gov. Kay Ivey announced a new special primary election for four of the state鈥檚 congressional districts on Aug. 11. All of Alabama鈥檚 other primary elections will proceed May 19.

On Tuesday, Missouri鈥檚 state Supreme Court upheld a new map that could help Republicans win an additional seat this fall.

With early voting already underway in Georgia for that state鈥檚 May 19 primary, GOP Gov. Brian Kemp has endorsed a redraw for 2028 鈥� but . And although Mississippi already held primary elections in March, Mr. Trump has urged officials there to redraw districts and eliminate the state鈥檚 single Democratic seat, . That would require the unprecedented move of completely erasing the results of a primary election that has already been concluded.

鈥淲e鈥檙e in such uncharted territory, it鈥檚 important to express that a lot of moving pieces are happening and that doesn鈥檛 mean the pieces are put in place,鈥� says Matthew Klein of Cook Political Report. 鈥淲e are far from this being settled and knowing what it looks like for 2026.鈥�

Despite the confusion and questions during this unprecedented moment in American history, several Louisiana clerks and registrars interviewed by the Monitor say they don鈥檛 anticipate any problems, describing a process that can adapt with relative ease. All say they first learned about their state鈥檚 postponement of its congressional primaries by watching the news. And in the weeks since, there hasn鈥檛 been much for them to do beyond printing and posting some notices.

Amy Patin, the Iberville Parish Clerk, says the protocol 鈥� posting signs on doors and voting machines 鈥� has been similar to instances when someone withdraws their candidacy too late, or there is a death before the election.

鈥淭here鈥檚 always a challenge,鈥� says Laura Faul, the Acadia Parish clerk, in her Crowley, Louisiana, office. 鈥淚n the grand scheme of things you just roll with it.鈥�