MOBILE, Ala. — A three-judge federal panel ruled Tuesday to block Alabama from switching to a newly proposed congressional map while litigation over the state’s district lines continues, ordering officials to keep using the court-drawn districts that were in place for the 2024 election.
Voting Rights Groups Sought the Injunction
The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and other organizations representing Black voters had asked the court to block the state’s proposed map, arguing it intentionally weakened Black voting power in Alabama. Republican leaders had hoped the new map would help the GOP reclaim a congressional seat currently held by Democratic Congressman Shomari Figures.
Figures issued a statement following the ruling. “I am pleased with the court’s decision, but this case is not over,” he said.
State Plans Supreme Court Appeal
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said the state will immediately appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. Gov. Kay Ivey said she fully supports the appeal and believes Alabama should be permitted to move forward with its planned August special primary.
The timeline for a Supreme Court decision remains uncertain, though both sides say a ruling could come quickly given the upcoming election calendar.
Local Impact in Mobile County
In Mobile County, election officials spent Tuesday counting provisional ballots from the previous week’s primary before certifying final results to the Alabama Secretary of State’s office. Mobile County Probate Judge Mark Erwin said the ruling does not immediately change anything at the local level.
“At the moment this does not change what we do locally,” Erwin said. “We will certify all races on the ballot, including congressional results that were on the ballot last week. Whatever happens moving forward, we’ll be instructed, I’m sure, to let us know what we need to plan for, but for now it doesn’t affect us locally as far as the May 19th primary goes.”
What It Means for the AL-1 Race
The federal ruling could also revive the results of the May 19 primary, which state officials had previously told voters would not count after Ivey called a special primary under the proposed new map. If those results stand, the race for Alabama’s 1st Congressional District could head to a June 16 runoff between former U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl and state Rep. Rhett Marques.
Both candidates say they are preparing for that scenario as the legal fight over Alabama’s congressional boundaries heads toward a resolution at the U.S. Supreme Court.