SCOTUS Orders Alabama to Redraw Districts

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Facts

  • On Thursday, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled against Alabama’s drawing of congressional districts, ordering the state to create a second majority-Black district after activists contended that Alabama’s maps violated the Voting Rights Act.1
  • Conservative Justices John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh joined the high courts three liberal Justices, deciding that Alabama, which is more than 25% Black, should have two of its seven congressional districts be composed of a majority-Black electorate.2
  • Roberts wrote the decision, saying it reaffirmed a lower court’s ruling that Alabama’s maps violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race. Roberts, however, had previously struck down a provision that granted the federal government oversight over electoral laws.3
  • The decision comes as a surprise since SCOTUS allowed Alabama’s map to be used in the 2022 elections, with Roberts suggesting that he was willing to change the way the court interprets Section 2. He ultimately said that the court declined to “recast our Section 2 case law as Alabama requests.4
  • Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, and Amy Coney Barrett dissented, with Thomas writing that Section 2 doesn't require that Black voters have proportional control of seats. Meanwhile, Kavanaugh based his decision on precedent.5
  • Thursday’s ruling will also have major political ramifications as it could force other states to create more majority-Black districts, leading to more seats for Democrats.6

Sources: 1The Hill, 2NPR Online News, 3NBC, 4Associated Press, 5ABC News, and 6CNN.

Narratives

  • Left narrative, as provided by Rolling Stone. With this decision, SCOTUS has finally acknowledged the rights of Black voters, who have faced centuries of oppression, and granted them equal representation. However, the fact that the right wing court ruled against Alabama’s map shows how far the GOP has gone to disenfranchise Black and Brown voters. While it's therefore important not to become complacent when it comes to the GOP’s attack on voting rights, SCOTUS’ decision should nevertheless be celebrated as a win for democracy.
  • Right narrative, as provided by The Gateway Pundit. From a legal and societal standpoint, SCOTUS’ ruling is very ominous for the future of America. Turning electoral politics into a racial headcount is the fastest way to exacerbate growing racial tensions. Of course, Democrats are applauding the ruling since it gives them an electoral edge, but this ruling only adds to the fracturing of America as individuals are grouped solely based on race instead of a shared American identity.