Photo: Alamy
Alabama asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to allow the state to use a Republican-backed congressional map in this year’s elections despite a lower court ruling that the plan intentionally discriminates against black voters.
Republican state leaders filed an emergency appeal one day after a three-judge federal panel rejected Alabama’s effort to reinstate a map adopted three years ago that included only one majority-black congressional district out of seven statewide districts.
The lower court instead ordered Alabama to continue using a court-drawn map first implemented during the 2024 elections. That map includes two districts where black residents either make up a majority or are close to a majority of the population.
Steve Marshall told the Supreme Court that Alabama did not intentionally discriminate against Black residents and argued the state should be allowed to conduct elections using maps approved by lawmakers rather than judges.
The appeal follows last month’s Supreme Court ruling striking down a black-majority congressional district in Louisiana, a decision that weakened portions of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. The ruling has prompted Republican-led states across the South, including Alabama, to revisit district maps involving large minority populations that have historically elected Democrats.
The redistricting disputes are unfolding as President Donald Trump and Republicans work to preserve their narrow majority in the U.S. House ahead of the November elections.
The Alabama case has been moving through the courts for several years.
In 2023, the federal judicial panel ruled that maps drawn by Republican lawmakers intentionally diluted the voting power of black residents. The judges concluded that Alabama, whose population is about 27 percent black, should have two congressional districts where black voters are either a majority or near-majority population.
The court-approved map was used during the 2024 election cycle.
After the Supreme Court’s recent Louisiana ruling, Alabama officials sought to restore the earlier state-drawn map. The Supreme Court’s conservative majority temporarily lifted an injunction blocking the map and returned the case to the lower court for reconsideration in light of the Louisiana decision.
Meanwhile, Alabama voters participated in May 19 primary elections, and Gov. Kay Ivey scheduled special congressional primaries in four districts affected by the proposed map changes.
Following additional review, the three-judge panel reaffirmed its earlier conclusion that there was evidence of intentional racial discrimination and said that finding remained separate from the Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Act ruling. The judges ruled that the special elections should continue under the existing court-approved districts.
