The ruling requires Alabama to draw new congressional districts it deems not discriminatory.

“Ultimately, we cannot see our way clear to requiring Alabamians to cast their votes in the 2026 elections under a districting plan tainted by intentional race-based discrimination,” the panel wrote.

It is likely the ruling will be appealed and that the case will head to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Evan Milligan, the lead plaintiff, celebrated the ruling.

“We are thankful that the district court has again vindicated the constitutional rights of voters in the Black Belt and we look forward to voting under a fair map this fall. The court saw through Alabama’s blatant attempt to reinstate a race-based congressional map that the Legislature deliberately enacted to deny Black voters a voice in Congress,” he told the Washington Examiner.

Milligan said that testimony in court proved that state officials don’t have enough time to switch maps before the updates primaries in August, “without spawning chaos and potentially serious errors.”

“Rather than accept this reality, state officials have knowingly sown confusion and doubled-down on their attacks on black voters. The court’s order today to reinstate the  Milligan remedial map is a crucial victory for fair representation and brings necessary clarity to the state’s 2026 elections,” he added.

JaTaune Bosby Gilchrist, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama, which was part of the litigation, hailed the ruling as an unequivocal rejection of “Alabama’s attempt to dilute Black Alabamians’ voting power ahead of the November midterm elections.”

“While we fully anticipate the State will continue to fight to use its racist maps to advance their partisan agenda, we will vigorously defend the right of Alabamians to elect representatives of their choosing,” she told the Washington Examiner.

The decision was celebrated by voting rights and democratic groups, who argued that the new map was discriminatory.

“For generations, black communities in Alabama and across the South have had to fight not only for access to the ballot, but for fair representation and equal political power. This ruling is a reminder that democracy cannot function fairly when maps are intentionally drawn to dilute the voices of black communities,” Anneshia Hardy, executive director of Alabama Values, an Alabaman voting rights organization, told the Washington Examiner.

“This moment is bigger than one map or court ruling. It is about whether black communities and historically marginalized communities have a fair opportunity to shape the decisions that impact their lives and futures,” she added.

Alabama Republicans have long sought to establish a 6-1 Republican-Democratic balance of congressional districts but were blocked by courts upholding the old interpretation of the Voting Rights Act. April’s Louisiana v. Callais Supreme Court ruling raised the bar for when Section 2 of the VRA can be used for race-based redistricting.

The Supreme Court then vacated Louisiana’s newest court-mandated map, allowing use of a 2023 map with five Republican-favored districts out of six.

The move last month was celebrated by Republicans as a major win and has led to many renewed redistricting efforts across the South.

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“I will continue to say: Alabama knows our state, our people, and our districts best,” Gov. Kay Ivey (R-AL) said earlier this month. “The United States Supreme Court’s decision is plain common sense and enables our values to be best represented in Congress. For years, we have fought for this outcome, and I am proud to celebrate this win for Alabamians.”

When the new map was signed into law, state primaries were already underway, so Democrats and voting rights activists protested the move. Votes for House seats that were already sent in were rendered null, and a new special primary election was set for Aug. 11.