Supreme Court Allows Alabama to Use Black-Majority CD Map

The U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority permitted Alabama to revert to a congressional map featuring one majority-Black district in a ruling that immediately drew criticism from liberal justices.

Legal Action and Ruling

State officials in Alabama petitioned the Supreme Court late Friday, requesting an injunction to halt a lower court ruling. This lower court order had previously prevented Alabama from utilizing a congressional map that the state had enacted in 2023.

• The Supreme Court issued an order that effectively overturned the lower court's restriction.
• The ruling was issued without providing any accompanying explanation or detailed reasoning.

Context and Controversy

This legal maneuver followed the Supreme Court's significant decision in late April concerning Louisiana's congressional map, a ruling that was widely seen as weakening the scope of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Judicial Dissent

Three liberal justices expressed strong disagreement with the majority's decision. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by the other two liberal justices, characterized the ruling as:

• "Inappropriate."
• Likely to cause confusion among Alabama voters ahead of upcoming elections.