Alabama map battle revived after Supreme Court ruling

Alabama’s congressional map faces renewed legal uncertainty after the U.S. Supreme Court gave state Republicans a major victory, reopening a case that could impact Black voter representation for years.

In a decision issued May 11, the court lifted a lower court ruling that had blocked Alabama’s Republican-drawn map for likely violating the Voting Rights Act—a federal law prohibiting racial discrimination in voting—by diluting the voting strength of Black residents.

The move allows the legal challenge to continue while giving Alabama another chance to argue that it should not be required to maintain a second majority-Black congressional district, a key point of dispute that has defined the state’s redistricting battles since 2023.

What it means for Alabama

The ruling does not immediately settle which map will ultimately be used, but it injects fresh uncertainty into elections already underway and could affect political power across Alabama’s seven congressional districts.

According to the U.S. Census, Alabama has about a 27% Black population. Under its original GOP-drawn map, only one district offered Black voters a strong opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice. A federal court previously ordered the state to adopt a map with a second majority-Black district.

The Supreme Court’s latest move sends the case back to the lower court for reconsideration. This could reopen debate over whether a second majority-Black district is required under federal law.

Alabama lawmakers react 

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall called the decision a victory for the state.

“Far too long, unelected federal judges have had more say over Alabama’s elections than Alabama voters,” Marshall said. “That ended today.”

Rep. Shomari Figures took to X to express his disappointment in the Supreme Court’s decision.

“This is an incredibly unfortunate decision by the Supreme Court that not only continues their trend of breaking from the norms and precedents set by the court, but also sets the stage for Alabama to go back to the 1950s and 60s in terms of Black political representation in the state,” Figures said on social media platform X.

Figures hopes that this is just a temporary setback as the Supreme Court did not dismiss the case.

Alabama's May primary elections are already underway.

The decision also comes as Alabama election preparations are already in motion, raising concerns about confusion for candidates and voters.

According to a USA TODAY report, Justice Sonia Sotomayor criticized the court for intervening after early voting had begun in this year’s primary cycle, warning the move could create disruption.

Election officials have not announced any immediate changes to district lines or voting procedures, and the timeline for any adjustments remains unclear.

The lower court overseeing Alabama’s redistricting will now reconsider the case in light of that newer precedent and could again decide whether to block or uphold the state’s preferred map.

That means the final shape of Alabama’s congressional districts, and who they ultimately benefit, may remain unsettled heading into the upcoming election cycles.

Jennifer Lindahl is a Breaking and Trending Reporter in Alabama for USA TODAY’s Deep South Connect Team. Connect with her on X @jenn_lindahl and email at [email protected].