Governor Kay Ivey on Friday called a special session that could delay primary elections after a U.S. Supreme Court decision state leaders believe could allow Alabama to redraw its maps.
The court ruled in Louisiana v. Callais that Louisiana’s congressional map was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander because race played too large a role in drawing district lines.
Advocacy organizations and leaders criticized Ivey’s decision over the weekend, arguing that the push to redraw maps stems from a new ability to dilute Black voting power.
“The League of Women Voters of Alabama strongly opposes Governor Ivey’s call for a special legislative session just 18 days before voters head to the polls,” the League said in a statement. “Our multiracial democracy depends on maps that do not dilute the political power of Black Alabamians.
“Let’s be clear, the U.S. Supreme Court did not overrule our congressional map. Yet the legislature is now seeking to redraw it to eliminate Black representation in a state where Black residents make up more than a quarter of the population. This is an embarrassment and exactly what the League predicted would happen after Callais, when governments no longer fear litigation to prevent racism in redistricting. Alabama must do better for Black residents. Our democracy depends on it.”
Alabama has fought federal courts over its U.S. congressional district map for years. Federal judges ruled the first version lawmakers proposed violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting Black voting power. Lawmakers tried again and drew a new map, but the courts found that the revised plan still fell short of the ordered remedy. That led the courts to bring in a special master, who drew new districts for the state.
The new map created a second district where Black voters had a real opportunity to influence an election, which helped elect Shomari Figures to Congress. The court has a standing order barring the state from creating a new map until 2030.
But state leaders are betting that the Supreme Court’s new ruling changes the legal landscape and that the federal court should now lift its injunction.
“Ivey’s decision to go back on the promise she repeatedly made to the court to uphold the current stay order in place and her initial statement not to call a special session is disappointing, but not surprising,” said JaTaune Bosby Gilchrist, executive director of the ACLU of Alabama. “The partisan calls to disenfranchise voters are shameful. As always, we are not deterred. We are here to fight for the voices of Alabamians and our votes.”
The court decision drew criticism nationwide last week, with opponents arguing that it weakens decades of protections for Black voters.
“The court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais is a travesty that further entrenches power in the hands of the few. It imperils the diversity of our elected bodies and representation of all communities,” said Robyn Hyden, executive director of Alabama Arise. “Many fair districts likely will vanish as legislatures gut representation for voters of color without checks from the courts.
“This ruling will have direct effects for Alabama. In an outrageous move, legislators are preparing to return Monday for a special session to redraw Alabama’s congressional and state Senate maps at the 11th hour, even though some voters already have cast their absentee ballots in the upcoming primary election.
“Alabama Arise will stand on the front lines with voting rights advocates across our state to fight any maps that remove fair representation. We encourage all Alabama voters to check their voter registration and polling place, and to make sure their friends and family are ready to vote. To build a better, more inclusive Alabama for all, we must ensure everyone’s voice is heard in our democratic process.”
The special session begins today, May 4, at 4 p.m. at the Alabama Statehouse. Ivey said she expects lawmakers to spend five days on legislation.
Rather than redrawing maps, the Legislature is likely to consider two bills that could delay primaries depending on whether the federal court lifts its injunction. New elections would then be held using earlier versions of the maps drawn by lawmakers.
