Voting rights advocates and community organizations are preparing to rally Monday at the Alabama State House in opposition to Governor Kay Ivey’s decision to call a special legislative session to redraw congressional and state Senate district maps just weeks before Alabama’s May 19 primary election.
The rally, organized by voting rights advocates and supported by groups including Alabama Arise, is scheduled for 3 p.m. Monday on the front steps of the Alabama State House. Organizers say the gathering will serve as a public rebuke to what they describe as a rushed, politically driven attempt to redraw voting districts behind closed doors after the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Louisiana v. Callais.
“This 11th-hour redistricting effort imperils the diversity of our elected bodies and representation of all communities,” Alabama Arise said in a statement promoting the event. “It undermines Black Alabamians’ ability to elect candidates of their choice. And it’s the latest example of centuries-long efforts to entrench power further in the hands of the few instead of ensuring everyone has a voice in the decisions that affect all of us.”
The rally comes amid growing concern among civil rights advocates after the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which opponents argue weakens key protections of the Voting Rights Act designed to prevent racial vote dilution.
Advocates say Alabama voters are now facing the direct consequences of that decision. Ivey has called lawmakers back to Montgomery for a special session beginning Monday at 4 p.m. to redraw U.S. House and state Senate districts. Critics argue the timing is extraordinary given that absentee voting already has begun ahead of the May 19 congressional primary.
Organizers described the effort as part of a broader regional fight over voting rights and representation across the South.
“From New Orleans to Nashville, Montgomery to Raleigh, voters across the South are mobilizing en masse to defend their vote,” organizers said in promotional materials distributed through Action Network.
The Monday event, titled “Pull Up to the People’s House,” will begin with a gathering at 2:30 p.m., followed by a news conference and rally at 3 p.m. outside the Alabama State House at 11 South Union St. in Montgomery.
Advocates say they intend to continue pressuring lawmakers to reject maps they believe would diminish minority voting power and further erode public confidence in Alabama’s electoral system.
“We must continue speaking up in defense of inclusive democracy,” Alabama Arise said. “Arise stands alongside voting rights advocates across our state to oppose any efforts to remove fair representation.”
