The US Supreme Court on June 2 allowed Alabama to use its 2023 congressional map in the 2026 midterm elections, despite lower court findings of racial discrimination. The 6-3 conservative majority ruled the state’s map, which eliminated one of two majority-Black districts, could be used after overruling a May ruling that found it intentionally discriminated against Black voters [1, 2, 3, 4].

In May, a three-judge federal panel blocked Alabama’s 2023 map, concluding it was drawn with racial intent that violated voter protections. However, the Supreme Court cited its April decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which raised the burden for proving racial gerrymandering under the Voting Rights Act, leading the justices to allow the state's map to stand [1, 2, 4].

Alabama’s GOP delegation is expected to gain one seat with the ruling. Before the 2024 election, Alabama had 6 Republicans and 1 Democrat. The court-drawn 2024 map created two majority-Black districts that elected two Black Democrats, shifting the balance to 5 Republicans and 2 Democrats. The 2023 map will revert that to the pre-2024 ratio with just one majority-Black district [1, 2, 3, 4].

Governor Kay Ivey praised the ruling, saying it affirmed Alabama’s knowledge of its own districts. She said, "Today’s decision is a win for the people of Alabama and our elections... I will see y’all at the polls August 11!" The state plans to use the 2023 map in its special primary election on August 11, 2026 [3, 4].

The three liberal justices dissented. Justice Sonia Sotomayor criticized the ruling in her dissent: "正如阿拉巴馬州變本加厲推行種族歧視一樣，最高法院今天也變本加厲地製造混亂。" Civil rights groups including the NAACP condemned it as accelerating the erosion of Black political influence [2, 3, 4].

The Alabama legislature enacted the 2023 map after a prior court order required two majority-Black districts. That prior map was used in 2024, electing two Black Democrats. After the Supreme Court’s April ruling tightened proofs for Voting Rights Act claims, the state challenged the injunction blocking the 2023 map, which the Court then lifted on an emergency basis [1, 3].

Alabama will hold its special primary for congressional seats on August 11, 2026, under the approved 2023 map [3, 4].