Federal court blocks new Alabama congressional map

Key Points:

• A federal three-judge panel unanimously blocked Alabama from using its 2023 congressional map for the upcoming fall elections, ruling that it remains intentionally discriminatory against Black voters in violation of the Voting Rights Act and the 14th Amendment.
• The court ordered Alabama to revert to a previous court-approved map from 2021, which includes two Black opportunity districts, instead of the new plan that featured only one Black majority district and six white majority districts.
• Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall expressed disappointment but vowed to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court, describing the legal situation as fluid and confident that the state will eventually prevail.
• The decision comes after the Supreme Court remanded the case for reconsideration following its ruling on a similar Louisiana map, but the panel found that the Alabama map still diluted Black voting power intentionally.
• The litigation over Alabama’s congressional maps has spanned nearly five years, with courts consistently requiring the state to create additional districts where Black voters can elect their preferred candidates.