Local Grassroots organizations react to Supreme Court stay on Alabama’s Congressional maps, vow to continue fight for fair and equitable maps

Grassroots organizers this week said they are vowing to continue the fight for fair and equitable maps in Alabama despite the Supreme Court’s stay allowing Alabama’s Congressional map to be in place for the upcoming election. The map passed by the Legislature created just one majority-minority district in spite of Alabama’s growing minority population.

 

The high court voted 5 to 4, with Chief Justice John Roberts joining the court’s three liberal justices on the dissent.

 

While the court issued a stay, it committed to hearing the case but did not give a timeline for that to happen; however, if the Supreme Court follows standard protocol, it is likely it would listen to the arguments in the fall and a decision coming sometime in the summer of 2023.

 

During the 2021 redistricting cycle, grassroots organizations throughout the state spent countless hours advocating for fair and equitable maps as well as transparency and accountability. Organizations held public education programs, community mapping trainings, and provided testimony during public hearings.

 

“The League of Women Voters of Alabama is deeply disappointed that Alabama continues using racially gerrymandered congressional maps which violate Section 2 of the voting rights act. We expect that when the Supreme Court takes up the case next fall that they will acknowledge that the map violates the VRA as well as the 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause,” Kathy Jones, president of the League of Women Voters Alabama, said.

 

JaTaune Bosby, ACLU Alabama executive director, said this decision shows the need for federal legislation to protect and expand voter access.

 

“It is unfortunate that this decision will impact the people of Alabama in 2022, and voters will be forced to wait another election cycle for fair maps to be put in place. But the case will continue, and we hope that the Supreme Court does not ultimately interfere with the salience of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. This just demonstrates the need for federal legislation to protect and expand voter access now – it is the only way Black voters and other historically disenfranchised communities to have a fair chance to elect candidates of their choice.”

 

Justice Brent Kavanaugh, joined by Justice Samuel Alito Jr., said the court’s order does not signal any changes to the voting rights law but instead said the three-judge panel ruled too close to the upcoming 2022 elections. The three-judge panel had ruled the state’s Congressional map likely violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. That panel consisted of two judges appointed by former President Donald Trump.

 

“When an election is close at hand, the rules of the road must be clear and settled,” Justice Kavanaugh wrote. “Late judicial tinkering with election laws can lead to disruption and unanticipated and unfair consequences for candidates, political parties and voters, among others.”

 

On the other hand, Roberts wrote in his dissent that the lower court had “properly applied existing law in an extensive opinion with no apparent errors for our correction” in the Alabama case.

 

Justice Elena Kagan wrote, “It does a disservice to the district court, which meticulously applied this court’s long-standing voting-rights precedent. And most of all, it does a disservice to Black Alabamians who under that precedent have had their electoral power diminished — in violation of a law this court once knew to buttress all of American democracy.”

 

Grassroots organizers agreed with Justice Kagan and were concerned about how the decision would affect Black Alabamians.

 

“We were initially surprised by the Supreme Court’s stay on the redistricting maps because such a decision so clearly illustrates the reverse course this country is on as it relates to voting rights. But then, we were immediately inspired to use this attention on Black voters to activate the communities we are focusing on, as the fight for national voting rights is again centered on everyday Alabamians. One of our greatest concerns is the SCOTUS ruling will cause Black Alabamians to feel even more disengaged from the political process,” Dr. Adia Winfrey, founder of Transform Alabama, said. “We are also concerned that this ruling will impact redistricting and voting rights in other states. This is all a reminder of the necessity of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and Freedom to Vote Act.”

 

The Founders of the Alabama Election Protection Network Rodreshia Russaw, Sheila Tyson and Justin Vest issued a joint statement calling the ruling deeply disturbing.

 

“We all watched in November as the Alabama State Legislature said the Lord’s prayer and then the majority party, the Republicans, proceeded to pass maps that continued Alabama’s long-standing tradition of intentionally diluting the electoral power of Black Alabamians. The ruling on Monday by the Supreme Court, allowing Alabama to use maps deemed faulty based on race by a federal court, is deeply disturbing. The ruling on Monday endorses maps in the upcoming election cycle that are knowingly intended to endorse and extend white opportunity. It’s simple math – Blacks make up 27% of Alabama’s total population. During the redistricting cycle the majority Republican legislature was presented maps that offered fair representation for ALL Alabamians, with multiple maps presented that contained two minority opportunity districts. They chose instead to pass a map that intentionally placed a large majority of blacks into one congressional district and cracked the remaining blacks into white majority districts.”

 

While grassroots organizers are disappointed, their fight for fair maps continues.

 

“We are disappointed with the Supreme Court ruling, but AEPN is committed as ever to equitable and fair representation for all Alabamians,” Felicia Scalzetti, an SCSJ CROWD Fellow assigned to the Alabama Election Protection Network, said. “Our current Congressional map dilutes the votes of Black Alabamians; this is unacceptable and a blatant violation of the Voting Rights Act. The fight is not over. While we wait for the Supreme Court to hear the case, we will continue to work on the ground in local communities to help elevate the voices of the unheard and pursue fair and equitable maps for all.”

 

Voters in Alabama have the opportunity to create change on May 24, when Alabamians head to the polls. Alabamians should remember the Legislature failed to create fair representation for all Alabamians with the current map. Alabama lawmakers work for the people, and the opportunity to fire them comes with elections.

 

“It is more important than ever for Alabama voters to confirm your voter registration and turn out to cast your ballot in record numbers in every election,” Jones said.

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