Federal court rejects Alabama's congressional map, will draw new districts to boost Black voting power

Federal judges said Tuesday that they will draft new congressional lines for Alabama after lawmakers refused to create a second district where Black voters at least came close to comprising a majority, as suggested by the court.

The three-judge panel blocked use of the state's newly drawn congressional map in next year's elections, finding the redistricting plan likely violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by diluting Black voters. A special master will be tapped to draw new districts for the state, the judges said. Alabama is expected to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"Based on the evidence before us, including testimony from the Legislators, we have no reason to believe that allowing the Legislature still another opportunity to draw yet another map will yield a map that includes an additional opportunity district," the judges wrote in their opinion.