Justices rule Alabama must redistrict again

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request by Alabama lawmakers on Tuesday to keep a Republican-drawn map of congressional district boundaries. The decision comes after a court-appointed special master submitted three redistricting drafts on Monday. The justices ruled in June that Alabama’s congressional map violated the Voting Rights Act because it would lead to underrepresentation of black voters. The panel of federal judges overseeing the redistricting has reportedly scheduled an Oct. 3 hearing on the special master’s new plans.

Why is this important? Alabama has seven U.S. House representatives, some of whom might not be reelected once their district boundaries change. The state’s only black-majority district elected Alabama’s only Democratic representative. A second black-majority district could elect a second Democrat to Congress. State leaders hope to enact a new district map by October ahead of the 2024 election cycle, which could affect the current Republican majority in the House. 

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