tennessee and alabama: new electoral maps
New electoral map approved by Tennesee
A week after the Supreme Court decision, republicans are moving to change electoral maps across the south. In Tennessee, senator Marsha Blackburn introduced a new map to divide the democratic vote of Memphis, a city which is approximately 62.9% black according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This new map has encountered critics from democratic members in the Tennessee legislature. Amongst them, Rep. Justin Jones who exited the chamber while burning a confederate flag. Despite all of the critics and even a protest that formed outside of the chamber, the republican legislature voted in majority for this new map which is going to set divide the democratic vote.
Alabama: Republicans want to use a map barred by a federal court
Republicans in Alabama have sent a request to the Supreme Court to allow them to use the electoral map that a federal court blocked in 2023 due to it not adhering to the Voting Rights act of 1965. The state of Alabama argues that their case is similar to that of Louisiana’s where the Supreme Court voted in favor of the electoral map during Louisiana v. Callais. The proposed map was going to reduce the minority majority districts to one in the western part of the state
