Alabama Arise is speaking out against state lawmakers following last week’s Special Legislative Session in which Republican legislators passed two bills to revert Alabama’s U.S. Congressional district and State Senate district maps to versions previously ruled racially discriminatory under the Voting Rights Act. The new laws will allow special elections to move forward based on those previous maps following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling Monday which lifted the existing injunction in light of Louisiana v. Callais.
In an official statement, Arise Executive Director Robyn Hyden condemned Gov. Kay Ivey and the state legislature for pushing the bills through against the demands of civil rights groups and members of the public.
“This Special Session was an affront to inclusive democracy and basic fairness, and it was a clear example of our policymakers’ misplaced priorities,” Hyden stated. “Just days before Alabama’s primary election, our legislative leaders hurried to pass bills that would dilute Black Alabamians’ voting power. These new laws threaten to erode representation and engagement of all communities.”
Hyden went on to criticize the state legislature’s GOP supermajority for prioritizing the last-minute redistricting effort over addressing other pressing issues facing the state.
“What lawmakers choose to prioritize shows what matters to them. Alabama legislators have declined for years to take action to close our state’s health coverage gap, or to expand access to public transportation and affordable housing,” Hyden said. “Instead of making needed investments to improve the quality of life for every Alabamian, our lawmakers rushed back to Montgomery for an outrageous 11th-hour redistricting effort that came after some voters already had cast absentee ballots in the upcoming primary.”
Hyden also noted that the special elections proposed by the two bills carry an estimated cost of $5 million from the state General Fund.
Arise is now echoing calls from other advocacy groups and encouraging Alabamians to fight back against the redistricting effort by showing up to vote at the May 19 primary and November 3 general elections.
“This special session and the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that prompted it both underscore the vital need for people across Alabama to show up and vote in the upcoming 2026 elections, including the May 19 primary,” Hyden stated. “Alabama Arise will continue to work alongside advocates across our state to defend and expand voting rights, both this year and in the years to come.”
“We will continue advocating for policies to reduce hunger and hardship,” she added. “We will continue advocating to ensure people have the resources they need to secure a happy and healthy future. And we will continue advocating together to build a better, more inclusive Alabama for all.”
With the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority deciding Monday to end the order requiring Alabama to have two majority-Black congressional districts, it appears that the special elections could indeed take place using the maps previously declared illegal under the VRA. However, there remains confusion over how exactly next week’s primary elections could be impacted by the last-minute legal developments.
