Court picks new Alabama congressional map that heightens Black voting power – By Zach Schonfeld (The Hill) / Oct 5, 2023
A panel of federal judges approved a new congressional map for Alabama on Thursday after versions drawn by the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature were struck down for diluting the power of Black voters.
The new map maintains Alabama’s one existing majority-Black district and nearly adds a second one, boosting Democrats’ chances of flipping a seat in the state.
The ruling caps a high-profile legal battle over Alabama’s congressional map that had zig-zagged through the courts since the state’s redistricting process began.
The Supreme Court in June struck down Alabama’s previous map for likely violating the Voting Rights Act, and the state subsequently drew up a new design that still did not add a second majority-Black district.
