Supreme Court again rejects Alabama's bid for congressional map with one majority-black district

The Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked Alabama's attempt to institute a congressional map with only one majority-black district after striking down a similar map in June.

By refusing to hear appeals from Alabama Republican officials, the Supreme Court ensured that lower federal court rulings blocking the map are still in effect.

The Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that Alabama's previously proposed congressional map likely diluted minority voters under the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Alabama has seven congressional districts and 27% of the state's population is black, but just one of the districts was majority-black. The court's decision forced Alabama officials to redraw the congressional map to have a second majority-black district. 

The state legislature redrew the map following the Supreme Court's decision, but the new map still had only one majority-black district.

"We are not aware of any other case in which a state legislature — faced with a federal court order declaring that its electoral plan unlawfully dilutes minority votes and requiring a plan that provides an additional opportunity district — responded with a plan that the state concedes does not provide that district," a federal court ruled earlier this month when striking down the newly drawn map.

A court-appointed official is expected to draw the new map, according to "The Hill."

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