Federal Court Plans to Reconfigure Alabama’s Congressional Districts to Enhance Black Voter Influence

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A U.S. Federal Judge announced on Tuesday that the judiciary will soon finalize new electoral districts for Alabama with the specific aim of amplifying the electoral power of Black citizens within the state. U.S. Circuit Judge Stanley Marcus indicated that the court’s decision would be released in the near future. He noted the significance of the looming electoral timeline, as all seven of Alabama’s U.S. House of Representatives seats will be contested in the next year’s elections, adding that a verdict could be forthcoming within the week.

The judicial panel is intervening to define new district lines after determining that the Republican-dominated Alabama Legislature did not correct violations of the Voting Rights Act when redrawing district boundaries earlier this summer. The court condemned the state’s new plan, which featured just one majority-Black district in a state where 27% of the population is Black, stating it unlawfully undermined the political clout of Black residents.

Comprising two judges nominated by former President Donald Trump, the panel expressed last month its deep concern over the Alabama Legislature’s failure to heed their instructions to formulate a second majority-Black district, or something approximating it. The judicial body on Tuesday examined three alternative redistricting proposals submitted by a court-appointed special master.

Deuel Ross, the Deputy Director of Litigation for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, described the occasion as a monumental one for both the state of Alabama and its Black voters. Ross expressed optimism that the revised district boundaries could pave the way for Alabama to send a second Black individual to Congress.

In the proposed plans, the modifications to Congressional District 2 would result in a Black voting-age populace ranging from 48.5% to 50.1%. For comparison, the district designed by the state’s GOP lawmakers contained a Black voting-age population of 39.9%, which, according to a plaintiffs’ analysis, would predominantly continue to elect white Republicans. Abha Khanna, another lawyer representing Black voters, confirmed to the panel that two of the three alternative plans would adequately rectify the identified Voting Rights Act violation.

Plaintiffs Khadidah Stone and Evan Milligan expressed hope that the newly-drafted map could usher in a congressional delegation more representative of Alabama’s diverse population.

The new electoral boundaries will be applicable for the 2024 elections, subsequent to a prolonged legal battle and a Supreme Court ruling. Initially, the three-judge panel had sought to introduce the new districts by the 2022 elections, but this was postponed by the U.S. Supreme Court during the state’s appeal process. Ultimately, the Court, in a 5-4 decision, sided against the state and upheld the three-judge panel’s findings. Alabama’s subsequent attempt to redraw the lines was deemed inadequate by the same panel, prompting judicial oversight for the new district configurations.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall voiced strong objections to all three of the court’s proposals, arguing that the judicial panel was prioritizing racial quotas above traditional redistricting criteria.

The judges had previously expressed their deep reservations about the state legislature’s conduct, and attorney Abha Khanna argued that Alabama’s obstinate response should not be condoned, describing it as a “textbook example of how not to rectify” a Voting Rights Act violation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Alabama congressional districts

More about Alabama congressional districts

• Voting Rights Act Overview
• Alabama Legislature
• U.S. Circuit Judge Stanley Marcus Profile
• NAACP Legal Defense Fund
• U.S. Supreme Court Rulings on Redistricting
• Federal Court System in the United States
• Alabama Demographics and Political Landscape
• Previous Congressional Districts in Alabama
• Traditional Principles of Redistricting