A federal court has blocked Alabama from using a 2023 congressional map that would have reduced the number of majority-Black districts from two to one. The three-judge panel ruled that the map, which Republicans sought to reinstate following a Supreme Court decision, intentionally discriminated against Black voters in violation of the Voting Rights Act and the 14th Amendment. The ruling requires Alabama to continue using a court-drawn map with two majority-Black districts for the 2026 midterm elections.
The decision comes after Alabama Republicans attempted to implement the 2023 map, which had been previously struck down. The state argued that the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Louisiana v. Callais allowed for the reinstatement of the map. However, the federal judges rejected this argument, stating that the map was intentionally discriminatory. The panel noted that the 2023 plan was designed to dilute Black voting power by spreading Black voters across multiple districts.
The ruling is a setback for Republicans, who had hoped to gain an additional House seat by eliminating one of the two Democratic-leaning districts. The current map, which includes two majority-Black districts, has been in place since 2024. The judges emphasized that federal law requires all Alabamians to vote under districting plans free from racial discrimination.
Alabama Republicans have indicated they will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. The state had already scheduled a special primary for August 11 for four House districts affected by the redistricting. The ruling leaves open the possibility for the state to adopt a new map, but it must do so without racial discrimination.
The case is part of a broader legal battle over redistricting and voting rights. The Supreme Court’s recent decision in Louisiana v. Callais narrowed the scope of the Voting Rights Act, but the federal judges in Alabama ruled that the state’s map still violated federal law. The ruling highlights the ongoing tension between state efforts to redraw districts and federal protections for minority voting rights.