US Federal Court Rejects Alabama Redistricting Plan Over Alleged Racial Bias

A federal three-judge panel in the United States has barred Alabama from using its 2023 congressional redistricting plan for the 2026 midterm elections, holding that the map intentionally discriminated against Black voters in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The ruling directs Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen to conduct the remaining 2026 election process using a court-approved remedial map that creates a second Black-opportunity congressional district. The same map had already been used during Alabama’s 2024 elections and recent primary polls.

In a detailed 102-page decision, the federal panel observed that it could not allow voters to participate in elections under a districting plan “tainted by intentional race-based discrimination.” The judges found that the Alabama Legislature had deliberately diluted Black voting strength by dividing majority-Black communities across districts. The court further held that plaintiffs were likely to succeed in their claims under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, even after the recent Supreme Court ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which tightened standards in racial gerrymandering cases.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall criticised the ruling and confirmed that the state would appeal before the Supreme Court of the United States. The panel included Circuit Judge Stanley Marcus and District Judges Anna Manasco and Terry Moorer.