Overview
- The Supreme Court issued a late, unsigned emergency order on Tuesday night allowing Alabama to use a 2023 congressional map that removes a majority-Black district and is likely to flip a House seat to Republicans.
- The majority relied on its April 29 Louisiana v. Callais decision to tighten Section 2 proof, saying plaintiffs must show lines were drawn to give minority voters less opportunity specifically because of their race.
- A three-judge federal panel that held an 11-day trial and produced detailed findings of intentional racial discrimination had blocked Alabama’s map, but the high court discounted that factual finding in its order.
- State officials have acted quickly: Louisiana’s governor suspended a primary to redraw lines and Alabama election officials will reassign voters and schedule new primaries, creating compressed timetables and voter confusion.
- Legal experts warn the rulings create a practical playbook for partisan redistricting, shift the burden of remedies away from federal courts, and increase uncertainty over which party will control the House in 2026.