Supreme Court Upholds Voting Rights Act in Allen v. Milligan — Orders Alabama to Draw Second Black-Majority Congressional District

In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court affirmed that Alabama's 2021 congressional map likely violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by diluting Black voting strength. Black residents make up 27% of Alabama's population but were packed into only one of seven districts. A three-judge panel including two Trump appointees found the violation in a 227-page opinion. When Alabama's revised map failed to comply, a special master was appointed to draw remedial maps for the 2024 elections. The ruling reaffirmed Section 2's viability after Shelby County, though only for racial (not partisan) gerrymandering.