On Monday, the Supreme Court put on hold a lower court ruling that Alabama must draw new congressional districts before the 2022 elections to increase Black voting power. By a 5-4 vote, the court’s action means the upcoming elections will be conducted under the original map.
The justices will decide at a later date whether the map produced by the state violates the landmark voting rights law.
Alabama leaders are responding to the ruling.
Attorney General Steve Marshall declared Monday’s decision a victory.
Marshall stated in a press release, “Today, the Supreme Court ensured that such a result will not befall the State this year. We will now have the chance to further brief the case and argue it to the Supreme Court, and we’re confident we will ultimately prevail.”
Congressmen Robert Aderholt also applauded the reversal, arguing that the districts were fairly drawn and forcing a change in the congressional maps would have created chaos.
Aderholt stated, “I applaud the Supreme Court for this decision. Making wholesale changes to the Congressional maps this late into the 2022 election cycle would have caused chaos, not just for the state’s election officials, but for all Alabama voters.
“I’m confident these lines, which were fairly drawn, will stand for this next decade. It is clear that the challenge to these lines is part of a coordinated effort across the nation to challenge Republican-drawn lines. At the same time, we are seeing dramatic gerrymandering in Democrat-led states, like New York, to eliminate Republican districts.”
Rep. Terri Sewell expressed disappointment in the ruling.
“Today’s Supreme Court order is yet another blow to the fight for fair Black political representation that is at the heart of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA). The ruling allows the votes of Black Alabamians to be diluted and further undermines Section 2 of the VRA,” Sewell stated in a press release. “This order underscores the urgent need for Congress to enact my bill—the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act—which would restore much-needed federal oversight to ensure that minority voters are fairly represented. Black Alabamians deserve nothing less.”
