A federal court ruled that the congressional district map drawn by the Alabama legislature was unconstitutional, ordering that it use the court-drawn map from the 2024 election.
The Thursday ruling was the latest in a lengthy saga regarding Alabama’s redistricting cycle following the 2020 census. State lawmakers had passed a map that only included one majority-black district, leading to a lawsuit from activists who argued the state’s demographics mandated two majority-black districts under the Civil Rights Act. A three-judge panel on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama previously ruled twice against the state and did so again with its ruling Thursday.
“The long and short of it is that the 2023 Plan unlawfully dilutes Black voting strength by consigning it to one majority-Black district despite Alabama’s Black population plainly being numerous and compact enough, and voting in Alabama racially polarized enough, to readily support an additional opportunity district under all the circumstances in Alabama today,” the 571-page order said.
Rep. Shomari Figures (D-AL) won the second majority-black congressional district last November, flipping a seat from Republican to Democrat because of the demographic change. Alabama is a heavily Republican state, but because black voters tend to vote Democratic, the creation of black-majority districts usually allows Democrats to hold those seats.
The Legal Defense Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union, both of which represented the plaintiffs in the case, heralded the ruling as a win for black voters.
“Today’s decision is a testament to the persistence and resilience of Black voters in Alabama, including our clients,” Legal Defense Fund Deputy Director of Litigation Deuel Ross said in a statement.
“Alabama’s unprecedented defiance of the Supreme Court and the lower court orders harkens back to the darkest days of American history. The court’s ruling reaffirms the rule of law and the importance of protecting the fundamental right to vote of Black Alabamians in the Black belt and all Americans,” Ross added.
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The state is expected to appeal the decision, further prolonging its redistricting process, as the 2024 map drawn by the court stays in place for now.
A court order to change the maps ahead of the 2026 election would likely need to be issued before Jan. 30, 2026, the state’s deadline for candidates to qualify for the primaries for the 2026 congressional elections.