Alabama Urges Supreme Court to Reinstate Congressional Map Struck Over Black Vote Dilution
Alabama has petitioned the Supreme Court to let it use a congressional map blocked for diluting Black votes.
Why it matters: The case could reset benchmarks for how race may be considered in redistricting, shaping election law nationwide. The outcome could alter the makeup of Congress and voting rights protections for minority communities.
- On May 5, 2026, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall filed an emergency motion to use the blocked map.
- The move follows the Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v. Callais restricting race-based districting under the Voting Rights Act.
- Alabama's map had been replaced by a court-drawn version adding a majority-Black district after earlier rulings.
- Governor Kay Ivey called a special legislative session to address possible changes and primary date shifts.
Alabama is pressing the Supreme Court to allow use of a congressional district map that federal courts had previously struck down for diluting Black voting power. On May 5, 2026, Attorney General Steve Marshall filed an emergency motion seeking permission for Alabama to reinstitute its original map ahead of the May 19 primary.
Marshall’s filing cites the Supreme Court’s April 29 decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which held that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act does not require or permit states to use race in drawing voting districts. In the wake of that ruling, Marshall stated, “The Supreme Court has confirmed that the claims that led to the injunctions against Alabama's map are no longer viable.”
Alabama’s map was replaced by a court-drawn version with an additional majority-Black district after federal courts determined the original map diluted Black votes. Marshall argues, “We are asking the court to lift those injunctions so that Alabama can conduct its congressional elections using the map its legislature lawfully enacted.” He added that, “Alabama deserves the same opportunity as every other state to conduct its elections in an orderly manner using a map drawn by its own legislature.”
Governor Kay Ivey has convened a special session of the legislature to prepare for potential changes to the district lines and to consider moving the primary election if legal barriers are lifted.
The Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais is already prompting several Southern states to revisit their own maps, which may shift the region’s political balance in the U.S. House of Representatives.
By the numbers:
- May 5, 2026 — Date Alabama filed the emergency motion.
- April 29, 2026 — Date of the Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais.
- May 19, 2026 — Scheduled Alabama primary election date.
What's next: Watch for federal court responses to Alabama's request and possible changes to the May 19 primary timeline.