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Federal Panel Strikes Down Alabama Congressional Map in Major Victory for Voting Rights

Image courtesy of talkingpointsmemo.com

Key takeaways:

  • The three-judge panel wrote in a 217-page order Tuesday that they were disturbed by the evidence that the State delayed remedial proceedings and ultimately did not even attempt to provide the required remedy.
  • The panel noted that they are not aware of any other case in which a state legislature responded with a plan that the state concedes does not provide an additional opportunity district, despite a federal court order declaring that its electoral plan unlawfully dilutes minority votes.
  • In response to this decision, the panel has given the job of redrawing the congressional map to a special master, which is a major victory for voting rights and will hopefully ensure that minority voters have the opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice.

A federal panel of judges has struck down a new congressional map created by Alabama Republicans, which only included one majority-Black district. This decision comes after the Supreme Court rejected the state’s map in a major and unexpected win for voting rights.

The three-judge panel wrote in a 217-page order Tuesday that they were disturbed by the evidence that the State delayed remedial proceedings and ultimately did not even attempt to provide the required remedy. The State conceded that the 2023 Plan does not include an additional opportunity district, which was the explicit instruction given to the legislature.

The panel noted that they are not aware of any other case in which a state legislature responded with a plan that the state concedes does not provide an additional opportunity district, despite a federal court order declaring that its electoral plan unlawfully dilutes minority votes.

In response to this decision, the panel has given the job of redrawing the congressional map to a special master. This decision is a major victory for voting rights and will hopefully ensure that minority voters have the opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice.

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