A federal court has temporarily blocked Alabama from using its newly adopted congressional map, ruling that the plan discriminates against Black voters.
The decision, made by a panel of three judges, orders Alabama to continue using a court-selected map that includes two majority-Black districts, which was used in the 2024 elections. The court found that the redistricting plan adopted by Alabama’s GOP-led legislature in 2023 intentionally discriminated against Black voters, violating the Constitution’s 14th Amendment.
Alabama Congressional Map
The court rejected the state’s argument that mapmakers were driven by party politics, instead finding that lawmakers enacted the map to dilute Black votes. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, has already set a special primary for August 11 for four House districts that would be reconfigured under the new map.
The decision is the latest twist in the long-running legal fight over Alabama’s congressional map, which landed back before the district court after the Supreme Court’s landmark decision last month that weakened a key provision of the Voting Rights Act.
Implications and Reactions
State officials said they are appealing the decision to the Supreme Court, while Rep. Shomari Figures, a Democrat, expressed pleasure with the district court’s decision, acknowledging that the state will likely appeal. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused Republicans of engaging in a “desperate power grab” by redrawing congressional maps to bolster their attempts to hold onto the House majority.
The ruling has significant implications for the upcoming midterm elections, as Alabama’s congressional delegation is currently composed of five Republicans and two Democrats. The decision ensures that the state’s congressional elections will be administered under a court-drawn map, at least for now, and highlights the ongoing struggle for voting rights in the United States.
