Alabama voters and Democratic officials pressed the Supreme Court on Monday to halt a revised congressional map ahead of this fall's elections, arguing a lower court correctly found the plan likely discriminates against Black voters. The emergency application asks the justices to prevent the state from using the newly drawn boundaries, which challengers say dilute minority voting strength.
The dispute is the latest chapter in a years-long redistricting battle. A lower court previously struck down Alabama's earlier map for violating the Voting Rights Act, and the Supreme Court upheld that decision in a landmark ruling last year. The new map, passed by the Republican-controlled legislature, has once again drawn legal challenges.
The challengers contend that the map maintains only one majority-Black district in a state where Black residents make up roughly 27 percent of the population. They assert that a second district with a substantial Black voting-age population should be created. The lower court agreed, blocking the latest map and ordering new lines be drawn.
If the Supreme Court does not intervene, the state may be forced to use court-drawn districts for the 2026 elections. Alabama officials argue that the map complies with the Voting Rights Act and that the lower court overstepped its authority. The outcome could set a precedent for how Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act is applied in future redistricting cases.
Legal experts note that the Supreme Court's conservative majority has in recent years narrowed the scope of the Voting Rights Act. The justices are expected to rule quickly given the upcoming election deadlines.