Supreme Court clears path for Alabama to redraw congressional map
Updated on: May 11, 2026 / 8:53 PM EDT / CBS News
TL;DR
- The Supreme Court has allowed Alabama to use its 2023 House map for the 2026 elections.
- Lower court rulings that had blocked the GOP-drawn map, which includes one majority-Black district, have been set aside.
- The decision was made in light of a recent Supreme Court ruling that weakened the Voting Rights Act.
- A dissenting opinion by Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson argued the decision would cause confusion.
- The state's current map, used in 2024, includes two majority-Black districts and was drawn by a district court panel.
- Alabama's 2023 map was enacted after a previous map was found to likely violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
- The court fight over Alabama's congressional map has been ongoing for years.
- Critics, including Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures, express concern over the potential reduction in Black political representation.