Alabama sets a special election for 4 U.S. House districts : NPR
NPR • • general
Key Points:
- Alabama is moving forward with a special primary election on August 11 for four congressional districts after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the state to use a previously blocked 2023 map.
- The new map reduces the number of largely Black, Democratic-leaning districts from two to one, increasing Republicans' chances of gaining an additional U.S. House seat.
- The Supreme Court's conservative majority overturned a lower court ruling that had required Alabama to maintain two majority-Black districts, following a recent decision weakening the Voting Rights Act.
- Governor Kay Ivey scheduled the special election due to the regular primary occurring on May 19, with absentee voting already underway, and emphasized Alabama's right to determine its own districts.
- Voting rights groups have challenged the change in federal court, arguing that reverting to an unimplemented map mid-election disrupts the voting process and is against the public interest.