How Policy is Taking Shape Across the South

In our February update, we outlined a more focused approach to our 2026 policy work. As legislative sessions progressed through the first quarter of the year and into the second, we are beginning to see how these priorities are taking shape across the South.

This update will highlight early legislative signals in two of our focus areas — Democracy & Civic Participation and Literacy & Education — and what they may mean for communities across the region. 

Democracy & Civic Participation

In 2026, questions of voice, participation, and representation are taking on heightened significance across the South. As an important election year unfolds, current and recently enacted policy decisions—alongside recent court rulings—are shaping how people access the ballot, how elections are administered, and how representation is structured across communities. These developments are not only influencing election processes, but also redefining the legal and structural conditions that determine how representation is formed and maintained across the region.

EPU’s 2025 Survey of the South and early findings from other polling and research point to an important dynamic underlying this moment. Across communities, residents express a strong belief that they can make a positive difference, yet far fewer report knowing how to get involved, feeling encouraged to participate, or being given meaningful opportunities to contribute. This gap suggests that civic disengagement is not rooted in apathy, but in access, clarity, and connection.

At the same time, trust in institutions remains uneven, and many Southerners report feeling limited in their ability to influence decision-making. Together, these dynamics underscore the importance of policies that not only structure elections, but also shape whether people feel able to participate fully and meaningfully in civic life.

Legislative Highlights

• Louisiana – SB 365 (2026), introduced by Senator Royce Duplessis, an EPU Unum Fellow, proposed the creation of a Louisiana Voting Rights Act to establish a state-level framework for addressing voting rights and representation. Although the bill did not advance out of committee, it prompted more than two hours of public testimony in support, reflecting meaningful civic engagement and continued interest in strengthening participation and representation at the state level.
• Georgia – SB 363 (2026) proposed changes to voter eligibility requirements, including provisions related to individuals deemed judicially incompetent and the conditions under which individuals with felony convictions may register and vote. While the bill did not advance during the 2026 session, it reflects ongoing legislative attention to how voter eligibility is defined and maintained. 
• Florida – HB 1205 (2025) introduced new requirements for the citizen-initiative process, contributing to a 2026 ballot landscape in which several proposed initiatives have not qualified for placement.  
• Mississippi – HB 859 (2026) introduced updates to absentee voting procedures and security requirements, reflecting continued refinement of election administration while maintaining relatively limited pathways for absentee participation.

Emerging Trends Across States

• Increased focus on election administration: Recent legislation reflects continued attention to how elections are conducted in practice, including ballot processing, security requirements, and administrative procedures at both state and local levels.
• Variation in how participation is structured: Policies related to voter eligibility, absentee voting, and ballot access illustrate differing approaches to how participation pathways are defined and navigated across states.
• A shifting legal framework for representation: Recent court decisions are playing an increasingly decisive role in shaping how district lines are drawn and how representation is structured, with implications that extend across multiple Southern states. 

What This Means

Taken together, these developments reflect a consequential moment for civic participation in the South. Decisions made during this legislative cycle will influence not only election outcomes, but also the degree to which communities feel represented, heard, and able to participate meaningfully in public life.

Emerging data suggests that many residents are not disengaged from civic life, but are navigating systems that can feel difficult to access or influence. As a result, policies related to voting, representation, and civic processes do more than determine outcomes; they shape whether people feel connected to decision-making in the first place.

At a time when many Southerners express uncertainty about their ability to influence decisions that affect their communities, these policy choices will play a critical role in reinforcing or straining trust in civic institutions. Their impact will extend well beyond 2026, shaping the stability and strength of democratic participation across the region.

Recent shifts in the legal landscape further underscore that the conditions for representation are not determined by legislation alone. Changes in how courts interpret and apply longstanding protections are reshaping how communities are represented, particularly in states where demographic change and political control intersect.

Looking Ahead

As the initial phase of the 2026 legislative sessions concludes across much of the South, several themes are emerging that will shape how civic participation evolves across the region.

• Recent legal developments: Ongoing court decisions have the potential to reshape how representation and participation are structured. The recent decision in Louisiana v. Callais highlights the extent to which judicial rulings can reshape how district lines are drawn and how representation is defined, with implications that may extend across multiple Southern states, particularly in how representation is structured in diverse and growing communities.
• The growing role of election administration: As legislative pathways become more constrained, the administration of elections is taking on increased significance in how participation is experienced in practice, including how systems are implemented, accessed, and navigated by voters.
• The importance of sustained civic engagement: Across the region, long-term investment in community-based participation and local infrastructure is becoming increasingly central to how civic life is maintained and strengthened over time.

Literacy & Education

Across the South, literacy is emerging as a clear area of momentum and opportunity. Recent legislative activity reflects a growing alignment around evidence-based instruction, sustained investment, and expanded support for students across grade levels.

In 2026, states are building on earlier gains through a mix of new proposals and continued implementation, with a focus on strengthening teacher preparation, expanding literacy programs, and improving access to early learning. These efforts reflect a broader recognition that literacy development is a continuum that requires sustained support from early childhood through the middle grades.

At the same time, data from EPU’s 2025 Survey of the South and related research point to the importance of translating policy into practice. While residents express a strong belief in the importance of education and opportunity, ensuring that progress reaches all students remains a central challenge. Together, these dynamics underscore the role of policy not only in driving outcomes, but in shaping how opportunity is experienced across communities.

Legislative Highlights

• Louisiana – HB 316 (2026) advances Louisiana’s literacy strategy by strengthening teacher preparation aligned with the science of reading, expanding school-based literacy programs, and requiring targeted interventions and ongoing support for students with reading deficiencies.

• Mississippi – HB 810, HB 1213, and SB 2487 (2026) proposed expanding the state’s literacy framework to grades 4–8 through evidence-based instruction, universal screening, and targeted interventions. While these bills did not advance, they reflect continued legislative focus on extending Mississippi’s literacy model beyond early grades.

• Alabama – SB 168 (2026), enacted this session, prohibits the use of the three-cueing system in reading instruction and requires instructional materials and educator preparation programs to align with evidence-based practices grounded in the science of reading.

• Arkansas – HB 1007 (2026) provides funding for statewide literacy initiatives, including the R.I.S.E. Arkansas reading campaign, literacy coaches, high-impact tutoring, and high-quality instructional materials, reinforcing continued investment in reading achievement across schools and communities.

• West Virginia – HJR 35 proposed a constitutional amendment to guarantee free early childhood education, while HB 5126 and HB 4119 focused on expanding funding and strengthening the early childhood workforce. Although these measures did not advance, they reflect growing attention to early learning as a foundation for long-term literacy and student outcomes. 

Emerging Trends

• Continued alignment around evidence-based instruction: States across the South are reinforcing literacy approaches grounded in the science of reading, including changes to teacher preparation, instructional materials, and classroom practice.

• Early gains paired with uneven sustainability: While states such as Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama have seen measurable improvements in early reading outcomes, there is increasing recognition that these gains are not consistently sustained beyond third grade, prompting new attention to grades 4–8.
• Persistent implementation and capacity challenges: As literacy policies move from adoption to execution, differences in local capacity, particularly in rural and high-poverty communities, continue to shape how consistently these efforts are realized in practice.
• Ongoing investment in infrastructure alongside long-term resource questions: States are continuing to fund literacy coaches, instructional materials, tutoring, and early learning programs, while longer-term questions remain about how these investments will be sustained as broader education funding priorities evolve.

What This Means

These developments reflect a pivotal phase for literacy across the South. States have moved beyond policy adoption and are now focused on implementation, consistency, and long-term impact. 

Literacy is increasingly being treated as a continuum, with attention to early learning, instructional quality, and support across grade levels. At the same time, differences in outcomes underscore that policy alone is not enough—how these efforts are implemented will determine their success.

Key areas to watch include extending support into the middle grades, strengthening teacher preparation, and sustaining the funding needed to maintain progress. The long-term impact of these efforts will depend on whether states can translate early gains into consistent, scalable outcomes across all communities.

Looking Ahead

As states continue to build on recent progress, several themes are emerging that will shape the next phase of literacy and education policy across the South.

• Extending support beyond early grades: There is increasing attention to how literacy gains can be sustained over time, particularly through expanded support in the middle grades.
• Strengthening the educator pipeline: Ongoing alignment between teacher preparation, professional development, and classroom expectations will be critical to maintaining instructional quality.
• Sustaining investment in literacy systems: As states continue to invest in coaching, instructional materials, tutoring, and early learning, long-term funding stability will play an important role in determining whether progress can be maintained.
• Connecting early learning to long-term outcomes: Growing attention to early childhood education reflects a broader understanding that literacy development begins before formal schooling and shapes outcomes well beyond it.

What Comes Next

Across the South, 2026 is shaping up to be a year defined by both momentum and meaningful questions about how policy translates into lived experience. In areas like civic participation and literacy, states are not only advancing new proposals, but also grappling with how to sustain progress, strengthen implementation, and ensure that outcomes are felt across communities.

Together, these trends point to a shift from establishing policy direction to deepening impact. As legislative sessions continue to unfold and states move from proposal to practice, we anticipate that the emphasis will increasingly be on consistency, accessibility, and long-term results. In the months ahead, we will continue to track how these dynamics evolve, with particular attention to how policy decisions shape opportunity, stability, and participation across the region.

Our June update will focus on Economic Security & Opportunity and Housing & Living Stability, examining how states are responding to rising costs, workforce challenges, and the growing need for stable, affordable housing across the region.