The Alabama Legislature will have just four days to meet the court imposed deadline to redraw its congressional maps after Gov. Kay Ivey set the special session date to address redistricting for July 17.
A federal three-judge panel set a July 21 deadline for the maps to be redrawn to include a second district with a black voter majority, or close to it, after the Supreme Court struck them down as a violation of the Voting Rights Act in a 5-4 decision on June 8. Alabama lawmakers will begin the redistricting process on July 17.
“It is critical that Alabama be fairly and accurately represented in Washington,” Ivey said in a statement accompanying the proclamation calling for a special session.
Alabama’s Republican-controlled legislature approved the initial maps, which included only one majority black district out of the seven, in 2021. (RELATED: Did The Supreme Court Just Hand Democrats The Keys To Winning The House?)
The US Supreme Court building stands in Washington, DC, on October 3, 2022. – The Supreme Court begins their new term today, and is expected to hear cases addressing a number of issues, including affirmative action, Alabamas congressional map, immigration, LGBTQ protections, and the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency. (Photo by Stefani Reynolds / AFP) (Photo by STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
“It is of the utmost importance that this special session only address the congressional map and nothing else,” Ivey said. “The task at hand is too urgent and too important. The Alabama Legislature has one chance to get this done before the July 21 court deadline.”
“Our Legislature knows our state, our people and our districts better than the federal courts or activist groups do,” Ivey continued.
Alabama’s primary is scheduled for March 5, 2024, making the need for new maps urgent. States are tasked with redrawing their maps every ten years following the census, typically beginning early in the year and sometimes taking the rest of it to complete them.
The panel’s July 21 deadline was set to ensure candidates have time to meet qualifying and certification deadlines for the 2024 election, according to the Alabama Political Reporter.
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