A redistricting re-do? What to know about Alabama's primary elections

"Four of the state's congressional districts are expected to hold special primaries in August, as part of a nationwide battle over redistricting. President Donald Trump has pushed Republican-led states to redraw their congressional maps in order to give the right-wing party an advantage in the November midterm elections. At stake is control over the US House of Representatives. Each congressional district represents one seat in the House, where Republicans currently hold a slim majority."

"Just this month, the Supreme Court issued a decision that clears the way for Alabama to install a congressional map that had been rejected in 2023 for diluting the power of Black voters. That map would rearrange the four congressional districts in the state's south, clustering many of the state's Democratic voters into a single district, rather than two. Shortly after the court's decision, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced the special primary elections in the four districts, to allow for the new map to be implemented."

"But the originally scheduled primaries are still unfolding in those districts on Tuesday, as are other national and statewide races. Here's what you should know about the Alabama primaries: Alabama Governor Kay Ivey is ineligible for re-election in 2026. Polls are open on Election Day at 7:00am (12:00 GMT) and close at 7:00pm local time (0:00 GMT). Alabama limits its governors to two consecutive four-year terms, making Ivey, an 81-year-old former school teacher, ineligible for re-election in 2026."

Alabama is holding primary elections with an unexpected complication for voters. Four congressional districts are expected to hold special primaries in August as part of a nationwide effort over redistricting. The effort is tied to President Donald Trump’s push for Republican-led states to redraw congressional maps to improve Republican prospects in the November midterm elections and influence control of the US House of Representatives. Alabama’s Supreme Court decision clears the way for a congressional map rejected in 2023 for diluting Black voters’ power. The map would rearrange four southern districts by clustering many Democratic voters into a single district rather than two. Governor Kay Ivey announced special primaries to implement the new map, while the originally scheduled primaries continue on Tuesday.

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