Supreme Court Rules On Redrawn Alabama Congressional Map

The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for Alabama to use a new congressional map in this year’s midterm elections. The decision is expected to strengthen Republican prospects and reduce the number of districts that black Democrats will represent in the state’s congressional delegation. The ruling came in an unsigned order issued over the objections of the Court’s three liberal justices.

The decision arrived even though Alabama had already conducted its congressional primary elections, setting the stage for a significant reshaping of the state’s representation in Washington. If the map remains in place through November, Alabama is expected to send six Republicans and one Democrat to the U.S. House next year. The case is the latest development in a series of redistricting battles taking place across the country as both parties compete for advantage ahead of the midterm elections.

The Supreme Court has increasingly found itself at the center of those disputes, weighing challenges involving congressional maps in states including Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, and California. With control of the House expected to be decided by a relatively small number of seats, redistricting fights have taken on outsized importance.

Court’s Impact on Political Landscape

The Court’s intervention in multiple states has already had a substantial impact on the political landscape heading into November, with several of its recent rulings reshaping districts that could prove critical in determining which party controls Congress after the election, the outlet’s report continued. The unsigned Tuesday night order relied in part on a legal doctrine known as the Purcell principle. That says federal courts should not intervene in election disputes to change voting on the eve of elections, CNN noted.

In the Alabama case, the court said in its order,