The US Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision that Alabama can use a redrawn congressional map for this year's midterm elections. This ruling reinstates a Republican-friendly map that eliminates one of the state's two majority-Black districts, which is considered a victory for Republicans and a blow to Black voters.
The decision follows a lengthy battle over the state's congressional map. Although a three-judge panel previously found that the map was enacted with discriminatory intent, the Supreme Court granted the state's emergency appeal to use a map adopted three years ago. The three liberal justices on the bench dissented from the decision.
The ruling provides a boost to Republican efforts to retain control of the House of Representatives. By utilizing this map, Republicans have better odds of winning an additional House seat, as the redistricting imperils one of the state's two Black Democrats in Congress.
Under the approved map, only one of the seven congressional districts features a majority-Black population. Consequently, Alabama's 2026 midterm elections will feature six Republican-leaning districts and one Democratic-leaning one. This ruling follows the landmark Louisiana v Callais decision, which struck down a critical provision of the Voting Rights Act.