Alabama Holds Special Primary Under New Congressional Map After Supreme Court Ruling

Alabama voters head to the polls August 11, 2026, for a special primary election in four congressional districts under a newly reinstated map that favors Republicans and eliminates one of the state's two majority-Black districts. The election follows a U.S. Supreme Court decision in Allen v. Milligan (No. 25A1314), decided June 2, 2026, that allowed Alabama to run its 2026 congressional elections under the legislature-drawn map rather than maps a federal district court had moved to impose. (NPR)

The special primary covers Congressional Districts 1, 2, 6, and 7. Governor Kay Ivey called the election on May 12, 2026, after the state secured what she described as a major court victory in its redistricting battle. Ivey confirmed the state will use the legislature's congressional map for the August 11 contests, with no runoff election scheduled. (Governor's office; ABC7NY)

The litigation traces back to a September 7 order from the federal district court in Allen v. Milligan, which appointed a special master and cartographer to submit three proposed redistricting maps by September 25. A special master is a court-appointed official who carries out specific tasks a judge orders — in this case, drawing alternative district boundaries. That order came after earlier rulings found Alabama's original maps likely violated the Voting Rights Act, the 1965 federal law designed to protect minority voters from discrimination. (Congress.gov CRS)

The Supreme Court's June 2 decision addressed the district court's effort to step into Alabama's plan to run its 2026 elections under the legislature's preferred map. The high court allowed the state to proceed with a map that favors Republicans and would eliminate one of Alabama's two majority-Black congressional districts. (Supreme Court opinion; ABC7NY)

Ivey had signed special election bills on May 8, 2026, in anticipation of favorable court action. At that time, the state confirmed it would revert to the legislature-drawn maps and that a previously scheduled May 19 primary would still occur. Ivey subsequently postponed the Republican primaries for the four redrawn U.S. House districts until August. (Governor's office; Reuters)

Secretary of State Wes Allen administers the special primary. His office set the voter registration deadline for July 27, 2026, and the absentee ballot application return deadline for August 4, 2026. Allen's office issued public reminders ahead of both deadlines. (Alabama Secretary of State; Alabama Secretary of State)

NPR reported on August 10 that the redistricting has caused confusion among voters, many of whom are navigating changed district boundaries and an unfamiliar special election calendar. (NPR)

The broader context here is the tension between state legislatures and federal courts over map-drawing authority. Redistricting happens every ten years after the census, when states redraw congressional district lines to reflect population changes. Alabama's legislature drew the map now in use; the federal district court sought to substitute its own remedial process through a special master; and the Supreme Court stepped in to permit the legislature's version. The elimination of a majority-Black district under the approved map reverses the trajectory set by earlier Voting Rights Act litigation in this case, which had required Alabama to create a second district where Black voters could elect candidates of their choice.

For political operatives, the August 11 primary is the first electoral test under the new boundaries. The absence of a runoff means the winners will be determined outright, compressing the timeline for general election positioning. With four districts in play under redrawn lines that favor Republicans, the primary results will signal how the new map performs in practice, not just in litigation.