Alabama’s congressional redistricting battle is shifting to federal court after state Republicans submitted a new plan for approval. The outcome of the case, which centers around whether the new map complies with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, could have far-reaching consequences both for Alabama and the country as a whole. The case will also impact the partisan composition of one Alabama congressional district in the crucial 2024 elections.
The fight over redistricting in Alabama traces its roots back to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld a lower court’s decision that the state’s previous congressional map likely violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting the voting power of Black residents. The previous map only had one Black-majority district out of seven, despite the state’s Black population being 27%.
In response to the ruling, state lawmakers approved new district lines, increasing the percentage of Black voters in the majority-white 2nd Congressional District while reducing the Black voting-age population in the state’s sole majority Black district. This move prompted a group of voters who won the Supreme Court decision to challenge the new plan, arguing that it continues to disenfranchise Black voters.
The plaintiffs accused the Alabama Legislature of disregarding the Voting Rights Act, the Supreme Court ruling, and a court order from the three-judge district court. They claimed that state lawmakers were determined to rob Black voters of the representation they deserve.
On the other hand, Alabama will defend the new map, stating that it complies with the court order and adheres to other redistricting principles such as maintaining compact districts and not dividing communities of interest. The state’s Attorney General’s office asserted that the Supreme Court did not require Alabama to draw two majority-minority districts, but rather emphasized that the Voting Rights Act does not mandate the adoption of districts that violate traditional redistricting principles.
The case now rests in the hands of a three-judge panel that previously struck down Alabama’s existing map. Their ruling stated that a remedy should include a second majority-Black district or something close to it, offering Black voters an opportunity to elect a representative of their choice.
Throughout the legislative process, Democratic lawmakers criticized the GOP proposal, arguing that it ensures the reconfigured district remains under white Republican control. Republicans believe that the court will accept their plan or that the state will succeed in subsequent appeals.
Alabama Democrats raised concerns that Republicans are deliberately trying to provoke another challenge to the Voting Rights Act, suggesting that their actions could pave the way for the landmark civil rights law to be gutted.
As the case heads back to federal court, the eyes of the nation will be on Alabama, waiting to see how the court weighs the requirements of the Voting Rights Act in redistricting and how it will shape the outcome of the 2024 elections. The decision will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the future political landscape of the state and potentially set a precedent for similar cases across the country.
