# Federal court sets hearing on Alabama redistricting amid voting rights battle  
**Published:** 2026-05-17T17:33:37.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/17/repub/federal-court-sets-may-22-hearing-on-new-alabama-congressional-map/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/federal-court-sets-hearing-on-alabama-redistricting-amid-voting-rights-battle

A [federal court set a May 22 hearing Friday on a motion to block Alabama's use of a 2023 congressional map](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/17/repub/federal-court-sets-may-22-hearing-on-new-alabama-congressional-map/) that was previously declared racially discriminatory, setting up another round in a contentious redistricting fight with national implications.

U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco is reconsidering the map after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted a permanent injunction against it and sent the case, known as Allen v. Milligan, back for review. The Supreme Court's action followed its landmark April 29 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which [significantly reworked protections under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/louisiana-v-callais), making it harder for voters to challenge maps on racial discrimination grounds.

The dispute centers on whether Alabama can revert to its 2023 congressional map, which contains only one majority-Black district. A lower federal court previously found the map violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting Black voting strength. The state's preferred map would likely reduce Black representation in the U.S. House.

Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday [set special primary elections in four congressional districts for August](https://alabamareflector.com/2026/05/13/alabama-moves-to-implement-2023-congressional-map-as-legal-battle-continues-in-courts/) under the 2023 boundaries, contingent on court approval. However, plaintiffs argue the timing is problematic, saying voters and election officials had already planned campaigns under the court-ordered "remedial map" that included two majority-Black districts.

"For months, election officials and candidates laid plans, spent money, and engaged voters based on the remedial map's districts. And, for seven weeks, Alabama voters cast ballots under the remedial map," the plaintiffs said in their motion.

The case has become a focal point in the broader struggle over voting rights protection. [The Supreme Court's Callais decision](https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-109_21o3.pdf) requires plaintiffs in voting rights cases to demonstrate that a state intentionally redistricted to diminish minority voting strength, a higher evidentiary bar that civil rights organizations say will make such challenges nearly impossible to win.

Civil rights groups backing the preliminary injunction argue that allowing map changes at this late stage would disenfranchise voters. "Alabama's rush to discard ballots in order to force the use of a congressional map that intentionally discriminates against Black Alabamians is a craven and shameful attack on our democracy," said Marina Jenkins, executive director of the National Redistricting Foundation.

Judge Manasco wrote that "appropriate relief, if any, will be issued in time for Alabama's 2026 election to occur according to a lawful map."

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/17/repub/federal-court-sets-may-22-hearing-on-new-alabama-congressional-map/)
- [Brennan Center overview of Louisiana v. Callais decision](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/louisiana-v-callais)
- [Alabama Reflector on special primary elections](https://alabamareflector.com/2026/05/13/alabama-moves-to-implement-2023-congressional-map-as-legal-battle-continues-in-courts/)
- [U.S. Supreme Court Louisiana v. Callais opinion text](https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-109_21o3.pdf)

---

This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/17/repub/federal-court-sets-may-22-hearing-on-new-alabama-congressional-map/.