Federal Court Finds Alabama Engaged in Intentional Discrimination in Congressional Districting
A federal court ruled that Alabama’s recent congressional district map reflects intentional discrimination against Black voters by failing to create a second Black majority district. This decision follows a prolonged legal battle over the state’s redistricting efforts, which began post-2020 census.
The ruling came from a three-judge panel, including judges appointed by both Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump. The panel asserted that Alabama’s actions aimed to dilute Black voting power, making it nearly impossible for Black voters to elect candidates of their choice. They emphasized that the map was not merely a result of oversight but a deliberate effort to uphold the discriminatory effects established in prior voting plans.
The court is now considering applying a provision of the Voting Rights Act that requires Alabama to obtain federal approval for its future electoral maps, given its discriminatory practices.
The 2020 redistricting marked the first instance where Alabama, along with other Southern states, was not mandated to seek preclearance for its voting maps due to a Supreme Court decision in 2013. The recent map comprised six predominantly White districts, despite Black individuals constituting 27% of the state’s population. Although the Supreme Court permitted the map’s use in 2022, it later agreed that it unlawfully diluted Black voting strength.
Alabama’s legislature chose not to redraw the map to include additional majority-Black districts, prompting a court-appointed expert to draft a temporary map for the 2024 elections. This shift led to Alabama electing two Black representatives for the first time in 150 years.
Responding to the ruling, challengers described it as a vindication of the struggle for political equality among Black Alabamians. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office did not comment on the recent ruling.
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