WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 04: President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) Janai Nelson (C) speaks to members of the press after the oral argument of the Merrill v. Milligan case at the U.S. Supreme Court on October 4, 2022 in Washington, DC. The Supreme Court heard oral argument of the case that challenge whether the new congressional map of Alabama violates the Voting Rights Act.
Alabama gets a new congressional map approved by a federal court on Thursday, October 5, 2023, to give more political power and a fairer map to Black residents.
The Black voting-age population in Alabama is 48.7%, adding up to the advantage of the new map. The new map will give more power to Black voters related to the incident of violating the Voting Rights Act. The transgression was revealed by the panel of federal judges driven by the GOP-dominated Legislature.
Boosting Black Voters' Voting Rights
Alabama's map used in 2022 only gives the 7th district the only majority Black community. With the new congressional map, the federal court-approved Black voters in the 2nd district can now gain more political power.
According to the state's Republican secretary of state, the new map will be used in the 2024 elections. The new map could threaten Republicans, making them lose one seat in a more significant number, as per Politico.
"With this new, fairer map, and for the first time ever, Black voters in Alabama could have two members of Congress representing their interests at the same time," Eric Holder, the former Democratic attorney general, said.
Holder's lawsuit worked its way to open doors and build a more upright map; primarily, Black people make up 27% of the state's population, giving them the freedom to vote for their preferred member of Congress.
New Map Calls For Great Loss to Republicans
The Alabama Republicans tried to obstruct the decision of the Supreme Court to approve the new map by calling an emergency order. However, the nation's highest court rejected it, which burdened them with a significant loss.
Despite the approval of the new map, the Republicans will step up the game and fight the new map, according to CNN. The Republicans are now preparing for the 2024 elections, Attorney General Steve Marshall said. However, the legal process of the new map is still ongoing.
"The Office of the Secretary of State will facilitate the 2024 election cycle in accordance with the map the federal court has forced upon Alabama and ordered us to use," Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen said.
The new map covers Black representation in Alabama and other Southern states, including Louisiana and Georgia, this year.
The Violation of Voting Rights Act is an example of racial discrimination against Black people. The new map should provide Fundamental basic voting rights to the Black residents, allowing them to make the 2nd district an "opportunity district" just like the 7th district.
"In spite of the shameful intransigence of Alabama Republicans, justice has finally prevailed in the state," former US Attorney General Eric Holder stated.
But the Republicans will continue to fight, according to Allen, and will challenge the use of the map in future elections. The Republicans await the final hearing to conclude the case's merits.
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