Judges throw out Alabama congressional map … again

On Tuesday, a panel of federal judges rejected a congressional district map proposed by Alabama legislators for failing to include two districts with a black majority. It was the second time courts found that legislators failed to produce a viable map, prompting the judges to appoint a special master to redraw the lines rather than allow legislators to submit a third proposal. State leaders hope to enact a new district map by October ahead of the 2024 election cycle.

Why is the government pushing so hard for a second minority district? Orders to create a second black-majority district come from the Supreme Court, which ruled in June that Alabama’s congressional map violates the Voting Rights Act. The court ruled that the current map undercut the power of minority votes by splitting up minority population centers with oddly shaped districts. Alabama has one voting district with a black majority. More than 25 percent of the state’s population is black.

Dig deeper: Read Joel Belz’s column in WORLD Magazine on the issue of gerrymandering in American politics.