Landry Signs HB 842 as Act 7, Locking In Louisiana's Fall Open Primary Calendar; Map Bill Still in House Committee

Governor Jeff Landry signed House Bill 842 into law on May 14, 2026, the same day the Louisiana Secretary of State's office announced the new election schedule to voters. The bill, enacted as Act 7 of the 2026 Regular Session, converts the 2026 U.S. House races from the closed partisan primary format to Louisiana's traditional jungle primary, sets November 3 as the open primary date, and schedules any runoffs for December 12.

The signing closes the calendar half of the legislative response to Louisiana v. Callais. Landry had suspended the May 16 and June 27 U.S. House primaries by executive order on April 30, the day after the Supreme Court's decision. That order committed the suspension to run "until July 15, 2026, or until such time as determined by the Louisiana Legislature." Act 7 supersedes the executive order's deadline and establishes the new schedule in statute.

What Act 7 does

Act 7 voids all votes already cast for U.S. Representative in the May 16 primary, including more than 40,000 absentee ballots returned before the suspension. Election officials are prohibited from releasing or counting those results. The law applies the same cancellation to the June 27 second primary.

Under the new framework, all candidates for U.S. House — regardless of party — appear on a single ballot on November 3. If no candidate clears 50 percent of the vote, the top two finishers advance to the December 12 runoff regardless of party. This is Louisiana's traditional open primary format, which the state had moved away from for state races in recent cycles but retained for U.S. Senate elections.

The law also establishes a new qualifying period: candidates must qualify between August 5 and August 7, 2026, with qualifying fees or nominating petitions. Nominating petition signatures are reduced from the standard threshold to 250 qualified voters from anywhere in the state, with petitions due by July 9.

Secretary of State Nancy Landry confirmed in a May 14 press release that the SOS office will refund the state portion of qualifying fees paid by candidates who had qualified for the now-cancelled elections. Previously submitted nominating petitions for those races are also cancelled.

SB 121: the map half remains in House committee

Act 7 fixes the calendar but not the map. The election it schedules will be conducted under whichever congressional district boundaries are in effect when qualifying opens August 5.

Senate Bill 121 — the five-to-one map that reduces Louisiana's majority-Black congressional districts from two to one — passed the Senate 27-10 on May 14 along party lines after a committee hearing that ran from 7 p.m. on May 12 to 4:30 a.m. on May 13. As of May 19, the bill had been received in the House, read by title, and referred to the House and Governmental Affairs Committee. No committee hearing had been scheduled.