U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Alabama’s Attempt to Advance Congressional Maps That Harm Black Voters
For the second time in three months, the U.S. Supreme Court has rebuffed Alabama’s attempts to advance its legislature’s congressional maps that federal courts have ruled harm Black voters. The court had first rejected the maps in its June 8 decision affirming the Voting Rights Act of 1965. However, Alabama lawmakers defied the court’s ruling and resubmitted maps that did not include the creation of a second political district where Black voters could reasonably choose a candidate of their choice.
On September 26, the court refused to stop a three-judge federal court panel’s plan to choose the maps Alabama will use in the 2024 elections from a set of three maps drawn by a court-appointed special master. One of the proposed maps includes the creation of a second congressional district with a majority of Black voters, while the other two would increase the percentage of Black voters in an existing district.
Currently, only one of Alabama’s seven congressional districts is majority Black, despite Black residents comprising 27% of the state’s population. Voting rights advocates argue that their numbers suggest they should control at least two of the state’s congressional districts.
On September 5, a panel of three federal judges ruled that the Alabama Legislature’s proposed voting districts failed to create the required second Black district. The judges expressed their concern that the state’s new plan did not adhere to previous court rulings, including the Supreme Court’s June 8 decision. They emphasized the importance of creating an additional district that allows Black Alabamians a fair and reasonable opportunity to elect candidates of their choice.
In an unexpected move, the federal panel of judges assigned a special master to draw three potential maps for the 2024 elections, each including two districts where Black voters have a realistic chance of electing their preferred candidate. The maps were submitted on September 25, 2023.
Alabama officials have denied any wrongdoing and argue that their proposed voting districts comply with recent federal court rulings. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, a Republican, expressed disappointment with the Supreme Court’s decision and claimed that the state’s maps should have been upheld.
The central issue in the Alabama case is whether Black voters’ power was diluted by dividing them into districts dominated by white voters. In June, the Supreme Court invalidated Republican-drawn congressional districts in Alabama that a federal district court had determined discriminated against Black voters and violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Chief Justice John Roberts, writing the majority opinion, cited historic racially motivated voter suppression to stress the importance of fairly representing minority voters. The Court did not explicitly order the creation of a second majority-Black district but emphasized the need to address racial discrimination and ensure that minority voters have an equal opportunity to participate in the political process.
The Supreme Court’s unexpected ruling surprised many civil and voting rights advocates, given the Court’s recent history of restricting rights protected under the Voting Rights Act. Going forward, the court is scheduled to hear a similar case involving South Carolina’s voting districts in October 2023.
Given Alabama’s history of suppressing the votes of Black citizens, it is likely that the Supreme Court will continue to address issues of race and redistricting. This ongoing legal battle has significant implications for minority voting rights and the fair representation of all citizens.