The state of Alabama has been in the spotlight for its contentious congressional maps, which a federal court ruled unconstitutional in a recent ruling. The decision, made by a three-judge panel, found that the congressional map dilutes the African American vote and does not providean equal opportunity for African American voters to participate in electoral politics.
This isn’t the first time that Alabama’s congressional maps have come under legal fire. In 2013, the Supreme Court ruled that Alabama’s 2011 congressional map violated the Voting Rights Act. As a result, in 2015, the state was ordered to draw new congressional districts to remedy the dilution of African American voting power in the state. However, the resulting congressional map still drew criticisms from citizens and advocacy groups, who argued that the maps were still drawn in a way that minimized African American election influence.
These criticisms caused the Division of Elections to redraw the congressional map in 2017. However, this redrawing was similarly contested, this time in federal court. The plaintiffs argued that the map, created during a special session called by then-Governor Robert Bentley, was designed not to protect African American voting power, but to dilute it.
The panel agreed, ruling that the 2017 map did indeed violate the Voting Rights Act. In their opinion, the panel stated that the new plan “deprives African Americans of the ability to elect their candidate of choice on an effective basis, and that the plan does not have, and cannot be expected to have, the support of a majority of African American voters.”
The ruling puts the state in a difficult situation; the panel ordered that a new congressional map be drawn. The Alabama Legislature is now tasked with creating a map that will provide African American voters with an equal opportunity to have their voices heard at the polls.
While voting rights are determined on a state-by-state basis, the issues surrounding Alabama are of wide relevance. This ruling serves as a reminder of the importance of fair and equitable voting processes for all Americans. The concept of one person one vote is fundamental to our democracy, and this case reaffirms the need for all states to respect and uphold this principle.
