A three-judge federal panel on Tuesday blocked Alabama from using a Republican-drawn congressional map for the 2026 midterm elections, ruling that the plan intentionally discriminated against Black voters. The decision requires the state to continue using a court-drawn map with two majority-Black districts, which was implemented in 2024. The ruling is a setback for Republicans, who sought to adopt a 2023 map that would have reduced the number of majority-Black districts from two to one, potentially increasing their chances of gaining a House seat.
The panel, which included two judges appointed by President Donald Trump and one by President Bill Clinton, found that the 2023 map was designed to dilute Black voting power. The judges stated, 'We cannot see our way clear to requiring Alabamians to cast their votes in the 2026 elections under a districting plan tainted by intentional race-based discrimination.' The ruling comes after the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which limited the use of race in redistricting.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced plans to immediately appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. Governor Kay Ivey had scheduled a second primary date in August for districts affected by the Republican-drawn map, while other primaries were held on May 19. The state has been engaged in a long-running legal battle over its congressional maps, with previous rulings affirming that the 2023 plan violated the Voting Rights Act and the 14th Amendment.
The panel’s decision allows Alabama lawmakers to propose a new map, but the order requiring the use of the court-drawn plan remains in effect until new lines are adopted. The ruling underscores the ongoing tension between state redistricting efforts and federal voting rights protections.