Last Thursday the panel of three federal judges ruled in favor of the congressional map as submitted by the Special Master.
Under the new congressional map, Tallapoosa County remains in district three. Meanwhile Coosa County and Elmore County are now in district six. These new districts will be used for the elections in 2024.
Previously, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered Alabama lawmakers to redraw the congressional lines due to a violation of Section Two Voting Rights Act. The state legislature was required to redraw the map with two Black majority districts, or something close to it.
The state legislature submitted a new map in July and the plaintiffs filed an objection. In early September, the three federal judges rejected the submitted map and ruled that a Special Master would redraw Alabama’s congressional lines.
The Special Master submitted three proposed maps on Sept. 25 and the judges had a hearing on Oct. 3. Remedial Map 3 was selected. According to the order, this map aimed to preserve the cities of Birmingham and Mobile between the congressional districts.
The order states this map also solves the dilution problem of Black voters that brought Alabama’s original map to the courts. District two is close to having a Black voter majority with 48.7%. District seven is majority Black at 51.9%.
“With this new, fairer map, and for the first time ever, Black voters in Alabama could have two members of Congress representing their interests at the same time,” said Eric H. Holder, Jr., the 82nd Attorney General of the United States. “This historic development will strengthen voting rights and ensure equal representation for so many Americans.”
Meanwhile the Alabama Republican Party expressed disappointment with the selected map and they hope Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall continues with the appeal process.
“While we continue to have the utmost respect for the legal process, we are disappointed with the decision the District Court has reached,” the statement said. “Of the three maps, the Court chose the map that is the most Democratic — not the map with the highest minority voting age population.”
