Hey team - I wanted to provide you with a rundown of what happened during the redistricting process in Alabama and why our team at the National Redistricting Foundation, our 501(c)(3) affiliate, jumped in to take action.
Official Alabama Gerrymandering Timeline:
- August 2021 -- The 2020 Census data shows that Black Alabamians now compose more than 27 percent of the state’s population and nearly 26 percent of the state’s voting age population.
- November 2021 -- Governor Ivey signed Alabama’s proposed maps into law, including a congressional map that denied Alabama’s growing Black communities an opportunity to elect candidates of their choice.
- November 2021 -- The lawsuit Caster v. Merrill, supported by the NRF, was consolidated with two other cases, including Milligan, a case brought by NAACP LDF and the ACLU.
- January 2022 -- The district court ordered that the state redraw its map in compliance with the VRA before the 2022 election.
- January 2022 -- Alabama immediately appealed the trial court’s decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 5-4 decision, the Court issued a stay blocking the remedial map-drawing process.
- October 2022 -- The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Merrill v. Milligan on the second day of the Court’s 2022-2023 Term.
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The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments about Alabama's congressional district plan on Tuesday. Alabama argued for the narrowing of the historic Voting Rights Act, established to safeguard minority voters and designed to prevent maps exactly like the racially discriminatory map they enacted.
While we fight for fair congressional districts in Alabama, Republicans view this as a chance to dilute minority votes through gerrymandering and eliminating our ability to hold them accountable with the Voting Rights Act. A.G. Holder said it best: "Gerrymandering negatively impacts the nation as a whole, but disproportionately impacts people of color. This fundamentally is a question of fairness."
Team -- it’s clear what Alabama Republicans are trying to do -- if you’re upset, you’re not alone -- we’re with you. I want our maps to be fair, which is why I’m a part of All On The Line. Help us fight back -- will you chip in a few bucks today?
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I want to make this clear: Regardless of the decision in Merrill v. Milligan, the fight is not over in Alabama and other target states. Map manipulators are still ignoring their constituents and we will continue our fight in upcoming redraws in 2023.
This is why our team is asking for your support today. We are fighting battles on multiple fronts -- not just in Alabama -- but also against the extremist Republican tactics to obstruct the democratic process through gerrymandering and diluting election integrity.
They won’t silence us.
We will remain vocal. Vocal in our advocacy calling out map manipulators when there’s no fairness in the redistricting process and no justice for voters in choosing rightful representation.
Thank you for fighting with us for fair maps and for voters across the country.
Liz Wester,
Advocacy Director
All On The Line is the grassroots advocacy campaign supported by the National Redistricting Action Fund. Support our work to end gerrymandering.
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