Plaintiffs in a voting rights lawsuit are urging judges to reject Alabama’s recently redrawn congressional map, claiming that the state’s Republicans failed to adhere to federal court orders to create a district that is fair to Black voters.

The high-profile redistricting case’s plaintiffs have lodged a written objection against Alabama’s new redistricting plan. They argue that the state’s Republicans have disregarded a judicial mandate to establish a second majority-Black district or something similar, resulting in a map that continues to discriminate against Black voters in the state.

In 2022, a special three-judge panel had halted the use of the existing districts in the state and ruled that any new congressional map must include two districts where “Black voters either comprise a voting-age majority” or something very close to it. Despite the state appealing this decision, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld it in June, concurring that having only one Black-majority district out of seven in a state where more than a quarter of the residents are Black likely violated federal law.

The plaintiffs, represented by the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund and other organizations, are now requesting the three-judge panel to intervene and draw new lines for the state.

Lawyers representing the plaintiffs argue that Alabama’s new congressional map flouts the court’s preliminary injunction order and perpetuates the Voting Rights Act violation that prompted the redrawing of the map. The new map maintained one majority-Black district but increased the percentage of Black voters in the majority-white 2nd Congressional District, currently represented by Republican Rep. Barry Moore, from about 30% to 39.9%.

The plaintiffs’ lawyers contend that the revised district fails to provide Black voters a realistic chance to elect their preferred candidates in any but the most extreme circumstances. They accuse state Republicans of disregarding the court’s directive to prioritize a district that would remain under GOP control, appeasing national leaders who seek to maintain the Republican Party’s slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Alabama authorities maintain that the new plan complies with the Voting Rights Act, and they are confident that the panel will accept their proposal or that the state will succeed in a second round of appeals to the Supreme Court. Republicans argue that the map adheres to the court’s directive and creates compact districts in accordance with redistricting guidelines.

The state must submit its defense of the map by August 4. The three judges have scheduled a hearing on August 14, taking the map dispute back to federal court.

The outcome of this case could have broader implications nationwide as it revisits the requirements of the Voting Rights Act in redistricting and could also impact the partisan balance in one of Alabama’s congressional districts in the 2024 elections, potentially influencing control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, condemned Alabama’s new map, stating that it represents a bold defiance of the courts. He likened it to the actions of George Wallace, another Alabama governor who defied court rulings in the past.

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More about redistricting

• Plaintiffs in voting rights case urge judges to toss Alabama’s new congressional map
• U.S. Supreme Court upholds decision on Alabama’s redistricting
• NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund
• Background on the Voting Rights Act
• National Democratic Redistricting Committee
• Alabama Legislature