U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Allows Drawing of Alabama Congressional Map to Move Forward

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the Alabama Attorney General’s request to delay the rollout of the state's new court-ordered congressional map, which could have endangered its timely implementation for the 2024 elections. This is the latest development in the Allen v. Milligan case, where the Supreme Court affirmed a lower court’s ruling that Alabama’s 2021 congressional map likely violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting Black voters' voices in Alabama congressional elections. The case also required the creation of a second “opportunity district” for Black voters.

“The U.S. Supreme Court saw through the Alabama Legislature’s attempt to further disenfranchise thousands of Black voters by drawing maps that dilute their voice. This decision mirrors the rulings throughout our state’s history that, unfortunately, have far too often been necessary for Black voters to get what the Voting Rights Act has mandated,” says Jerome Dees, Alabama policy director for the Southern Poverty Law Center. “Today’s ruling is a victory, not only for Black Alabamians but all who believe in equal representation and free and fair elections.”