Alabama has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the state to use a congressional map that a lower court ruled intentionally discriminates against Black voters. The state filed emergency petitions on Wednesday, urging the high court to lift a block on the 2023 map, which could help Republicans flip a Democratic seat in the 2026 elections.
A three-judge panel in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama previously ruled that the map was unlawfully drawn to dilute Black voting power. The panel, which included two judges appointed by President Donald Trump, found that the map violated the Constitution by intentionally discriminating based on race. The Supreme Court had sent the case back to the lower court for reconsideration after its ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which raised the legal bar for proving racial discrimination in redistricting.
Alabama argues that the lower court’s decision defies the Supreme Court’s guidance in Callais. The state claims it followed the new legal standard by pursuing race-neutral objectives, such as protecting incumbents, when drawing the map. The state also argues that the lower court’s ruling disrupts election preparations and forces voters to use a court-drawn map that does not align with Alabama’s districting goals.
The lower court’s map, which includes two majority-Black districts, was used for the 2024 elections. Alabama’s 2023 map, which has only one majority-Black district, was rejected by the court. The state’s Republican leadership has sought to reinstate the 2023 map, citing the Supreme Court’s recent weakening of the Voting Rights Act.
The case is part of a broader legal and political battle over redistricting in Southern states, where Republicans have moved to reshape districts with large minority populations that have historically elected Democrats. The Supreme Court’s conservative majority has shown willingness to intervene in similar cases, raising questions about the future of voting rights protections.