Overview
- Alabama lawmakers passed HB1 and SB1 in a special session to reinstate maps the U.S. Supreme Court had previously rejected.
- Those moves followed a late-April Supreme Court decision and a May 11 court action that lifted a long-running ban on drawing new maps.
- The Northern District of Alabama on May 12 ordered state officials to explain their 2026 election plan to ensure on-time, effective voting.
- Primary voting will proceed May 19 with an Aug. 11 special election planned for Districts 1, 2, 6 and 7.
- Voting-rights groups warn confusion and misinformation could depress turnout, especially in minority communities, and they urge voters to verify registration and polling places.