Alabama asks Supreme Court to allow use of congressional map helping GOP

Key Points:

• Alabama has requested the Supreme Court to permit the use of a Republican-favored congressional map for the 2024 elections, despite a lower court ruling that the map discriminates against Black voters.
• A three-judge panel previously rejected the state-drawn map, which has only one majority-Black district, and mandated the use of a court-ordered map with two districts having majority or near-majority Black populations.
• The state's appeal follows a recent Supreme Court decision that weakened the Voting Rights Act by invalidating a Black-majority district in Louisiana, prompting several Southern states to revise minority-influenced voting districts.
• The judicial panel reaffirmed its finding of intentional racial discrimination in Alabama’s original map and ordered the special primaries scheduled for August to proceed under the court-approved districts.
• Republicans aim to regain a congressional seat won by a Black Democrat under the court-ordered map, with the state seeking a Supreme Court ruling by Monday to finalize preparations for the upcoming special elections.