Supreme Court decision, which split along conservative and liberal lines, essentially nullified section 2 of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act.
WASHINGTON - Alabama asked the U.S. Supreme Court on May 8 to let the Republican-led state impose new congressional maps for this year's midterm elections, the latest aggressive move by a southern state to take advantage of the court's recent decision weakening Voting Rights Act protections for minorities.
In an emergency filing, state officials said the high court's decision about Louisiana's congressional map should free Alabama from having to use a map that included a second majority-Black district to comply with the civil rights law.
"Alabama's case mirrors Louisiana's, and they should end the same way: with this year's elections run with districts based on lawful policy goals, not race," Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall wrote in the state's appeal. He asked for a ruling by May 14.
The state is under an order by a lower court to keep that map in place until after the 2030 Census.
The Alabama state legislature on May 8 approved a new map that can be used in a special primary if the court order is lifted.
That would be another boost for Republicans' chances of keeping control of the U.S. House, where they have a slim majority.
Louisiana and Tennessee are also trying to take advantage of the weakened civil rights law to use congressional maps more favorable to the GOP as early as this year.
Historically, midterm elections don't bode well for the party in the White House. Yet past midterm years haven't been subject to the same kind of intense, last-minute map-drawing that has taken place this cycle.
Democrats, meanwhile, suffered a setback May 8 when the Virginia Supreme Court overturned a new voter-approved map that would have given Democrats an edge in the midterm elections.
Tennessee became the first state to dissolve a Democratic-held seat in the wake of the high court's ruling on the Voting Rights Act when the state legislature approved new congressional lines that split Black-majority Memphis into three districts.
In Louisiana, Gov. Jeff Landry signed an executive order postponing primaries until at least July 15 or until a date set by the Republican-led state legislature, citing an "election emergency of unconstitutional maps."
The state's six-member delegation has two Democrats. The map the Supreme Court invalidated had two majority-black seats and Republicans hope to reduce the advantage for Democrats in at least one of the seats.
Contributing: Zachary Schermele and Bart Jansen.