Court temporarily blocks Alabama's 'race-based' congressional map

May 26 (UPI) -- A federal court on Tuesday temporarily blocked Alabama from using a newly redrawn congressional map that would feature one majority-Black district.

The panel of three judges said the map, which was adopted by lawmakers in 2023, was racially discriminatory since one of the state's seven congressional districts would have a Black majority despite there being a 27% Black population across the state. The map would, in effect, dilute the votes of Black Alabamians in the upcoming midterm elections.

The U.S. District Court in Birmingham ordered the state to temporarily continue using a map that includes two Black-majority districts.

"Ultimately, we cannot see our way clear to requiring Alabamians to cast their votes in the 2026 elections under a districting plan tainted by intentional race-based discrimination," the ruling said.

"And under the unusual circumstances of this case, we conclude that a limited order requiring the Secretary [of State] to continue using this Court's race-blind map will not disrupt Alabama's elections."

The U.S. Supreme Court told the panel of judges to reconsider the Alabama case after the high court's ruling in Louisiana vs. Callais, which essentially gutted the Voting Rights Act. That ruling in April found that Louisiana's drawing of its congressional map was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.

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This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 12:44 PM.