Gov. Kay Ivey Sets Special Primaries For Alabama 1st, 2nd, 6th, And 7th Districts

Alabama’s elections got more complicated on Tuesday as Gov. Kay Ivey set special primary elections for four of the state’s seven congressional districts after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for Alabama to use a map that had been blocked by the courts.

The special primary elections are for the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th districts, with the regular primary next Tuesday, May 19, and absentee voting already under way.

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NPR reported that the Supreme Court’s conservative majority vacated a lower court decision that had blocked a 2023 congressional map proposal and required the state to include a second largely Black district.

In Alabama, the 2nd and 7th districts are held by Black Democrats, while the 1st and 6th districts are held by Republicans, and the move increases the chances of Republicans picking up an extra U.S. House seat there.

In a statement Tuesday announcing the special election, Gov. Kay Ivey said, "The United States Supreme Court's decision is plain common sense and enables our values to be best represented in Congress."

PBS reported that the GOP rush to redraw U.S. House seats created voter confusion and logistical headaches for local election officials, with changes hitting while primary season is in progress.

Alabama Daily News

In Louisiana, PBS described how 66-year-old New Orleans resident Sallie Davis voted early for Democratic U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, but a sign at her polling booth showed his race crossed off with a ballpoint pen.

PBS also quoted Sallie Davis saying, "I think I have been disenfranchised. I think my vote, that I just voted on, it's not going to count or something."

NPR said Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen stated that "votes cast in those congressional races on May 19 will be tabulated and made public" but that "votes for those races will be void for purposes of determining the party nominee."

PBS reported that Alabama lawmakers passed legislation Friday allowing a do-over of congressional primaries, while the Alabama primary is May 19 and voting in congressional races will occur then as planned but with the old districts.

PBS warned that the old-district votes would end up not counting if a court allows the switch to different districts, as the Supreme Court’s decision last month severely weakening the Voting Rights Act required Louisiana to reconsider a map drawn in 2024.

In Alabama, WSFA said the special primary is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 11, with no runoff, and that winners will advance to the Nov. 3 general election according to Ivey’s order.