Story perspectives

Alabama Redraws Districts After VRA Weakening, Protest Rages

5/5/2026

Summary

Story summary

Republican leaders opened a session to redraw Alabama’s districts after the Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act, as protesters gathered outside the Capitol.
Governor Kay Ivey of Alabama and Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee called to consider maps before November 2026 elections.
Senator Raphael Warnock called the changes a Jim Crow tactic while State Senator Raumesh Akbari warned rushed plan could split Memphis’ majority-Black district and dilute Black voters’ influence.

History

Historical Context

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act on August 6 1965, outlawing literacy tests and imposing federal preclearance on 13 Southern jurisdictions, including Alabama, which had to obtain Justice Department approval for redistricting that shaped Black voting power. The 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision nullified that formula, prompting today’s legal battle over Alabama’s map voiced by Governor Kay Ivey and Senator Raphael Warnock.

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Story summary

Republican leaders opened a session to redraw Alabama’s districts after the Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act, as protesters gathered outside the Capitol.
Governor Kay Ivey of Alabama and Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee called to consider maps before November 2026 elections.
Senator Raphael Warnock called the changes a Jim Crow tactic while State Senator Raumesh Akbari warned rushed plan could split Memphis’ majority-Black district and dilute Black voters’ influence.

1 / 2