A federal court ruling in Alabama could mean another new congressional map for the state, as a panel of federal judges found the version the state drew in 2023 violated the Voting Rights Act because it diluted the political voice of Black voters.
The more than 500-page ruling from a unanimous three-judge panel said it was “not a close call” to require the state to have a map with more representation for Black voters than the 2023 plan.
The state is currently using a court-mandated map drawn after a preliminary ruling against the state’s 2023 version, and Thursday’s decision opened the door for the state to have yet another map going forward — its third since the 2020 census.
