Even after an appeal after a decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court, an enforcement of an Alabama voting rights act has been blocked.

Earlier this summer, it was ruled that the congressional map of the state of Alabama, a predominantly conservative region with seven congressional districts; the state also has a 27 percent Black population that been historically impacted by redistricting and voter discrimination.

This was a 5-4 decision made by SCOTUS that was upheld unanimously by a three-judge lower panel including two appointees under the approval of Trump during his former presidency. The lower court was requesting the requirement of a second majority Black congressional district, and the federal court had agreed. Though, as this case was given back to the legislature for creating the district, the GOP lawmakers were not complying to make that happen. Their alternative was to increase Black voters from 30 to 40 percent in one of the districts, not following federal law.

According to NPR, “Faced with what it viewed as delaying tactics and deliberate defiance of a Supreme Court decision, the lower court appointed a special master to draw a new congressional map with two majority Black districts. To emphasize its displeasure with the state, the three-judge panel refused to put its order on hold, noting that Alabama had already conducted one congressional election in 2022 with an "unlawful map."”

Alabama had decided to appeal to the highest court for a second time in order to stall the implementation of the updated map, with the argument that their defense should be given a granted amount of time in response.

The delay was not approved however, with the court's response: “The application for stay presented to Justice Thomas and by him referred to the Court is denied."

No presentation on concurring and dissenting opinions.

This refusal of the appeal had brought a shock to Alabama and their mode of abuse of power over the people, especially minoritized communities. The Voting Rights Act is a safeguard for preventing the dismissal of Black voices in the legislation and election processes.

Other Southern states are considering a change in their maps, but Republicans will not give up without a fight in order to preserve the wrong act of diluting representation within districts.