U.S. Supreme Court approves Alabama redistricting map

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(The Center Square) - The U.S. Supreme Court allowed Alabama to move forward with an altered election map, that costs taxpayers an additional $4.45 million. 

Justices on the high court affirmed a 2023 congressional map that alters four congressional districts in the state and favors Republicans.

The state scheduled a special primary election in August, that is estimated to cost $4.45 million in addition to spending on a primary that occurred May 19. 

The  uling comes after the state planned to adjust its congressional maps in response to Louisiana v. Callais, a Supreme Court ruling that weakened section two of the Voting Rights Act. The act allowed for states to create majority-minority districts across the country. 

Alabama moved to adjust its congressional maps in response to the high court's decision. However, a lower court temporarily blocked the map and said it discriminated based on race, rather than simply political persuasion. 

Justices on the high court said the lower court did not operate in good faith when it blocked Alabama's map and it did not consider necessary legal tests under previous court decisions. 

"The District Court also failed to follow our instruction in Callais that the mere fact that voters of different races vote for different parties is not relevant to proving racially polarized voting patterns," Justices on the court wrote in a per curiam opinion. 

Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented to the high court's decision. The justices said Alabama's map discriminates based on race and would lead to a "chaotic" election scenario. 

"Alabama was focused on pulling out all the stops to “entrench” the dilution of Black votes found," Sotomayor wrote. 

Alabama will continue with its special elections in four of its affected congressional districts on Aug. 11.