A three-judge panel in the state’s long-running redistricting case issued the preliminary injunction that prevents the state, at least for now, from switching maps. It requires Alabama to continue using the same court-ordered districts under which congressional representatives were elected in 2024.
Lawyers representing black voters in the state's lengthy redistricting case had sought the preliminary injunction, arguing the same panel in 2023 found the state map was intentionally discriminatory against black voters. They also argued Alabama was creating chaos by trying to change lines in the middle of an election year.
The ruling was a defeat for state Republicans who want to use a map for the November midterms that will give the GOP a chance to reclaim the seat now held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures. However, the state could appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The court order is the latest development in the twisting legal and political saga following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a black-majority district in Louisiana saying race should not be used to determine district geography. That ruling has led Republicans in several Southern states, including Alabama, to take steps to reshape voting districts designed to favor one particular racial group.
