Limestone County voices from both sides of the political spectrum raised concerns this week after federal judges on Monday blocked Alabama from using newly drawn congressional districts in upcoming elections. The ruling determined that the state should have two districts — instead of one — in which Black voters are a sizeable portion of the electorate.

“Black voters have less opportunity than other Alabamians to elect candidates of their choice to Congress,” the three-judge panel wrote in the 225-page ruling that found plaintiffs are “substantially likely” to prevail on claims that the current districts violate the Voting Rights Act.

“We find that the plaintiffs will suffer an irreparable harm if they must vote in the 2022 congressional elections based on a redistricting plan that violates federal law,” the ruling stated.

The judges blocked use of the map and stayed the candidate qualification deadline with political parties from Friday until Feb. 11 to allow the Legislature the opportunity to enact a remedial plan.

“As the Legislature considers such plans, it should be mindful of the practical reality, based on the ample evidence of intensely racially polarized voting adduced during the preliminary injunction proceedings, that any remedial plan will need to include two districts in which Black voters either comprise a voting-age majority or something quite close to it,” the judges wrote.

Alabama’s seven-member congressional delegation consists of six Republicans elected from heavily white districts and one Democrat elected from the only majority-Black district.

The Alabama Legislature last year approved congressional district lines that maintain one majority-Black district. About 26 percent of Alabama’s population is Black, and some lawmakers argued the state should have a second congressional district with a significant African-American population.

Ken Hines, a former committee member of Limestone County Democrats, said he was encouraged by the judicial decision.

“I’m glad it happened,” Hines said. “The purpose of redistricting is to make sure that people have equal representation. I’m opposed to gerrymandering no matter who is doing it. You don’t get to make sure your own power is over-represented.”

Given the demographics of the state, Hines agreed with forming a second congressional district more aligned with Alabama’s population.

“We need to draw districts so that at least two out of the seven districts have a realistic chance of voting for Black representation,” he said. “Heaven help us if there is no restraint on voting — either over- or under-representation.”

Wilbert L. Woodruff, president of the Limestone County NAACP, said that the federal action should send a signal that the state erred in drawing the new districts.

“When you have the national people saying we know you didn’t get it right,” Woodruff said, “it tells Gov. (Kay) Ivey, those in Montgomery, (Limestone County Commission) Chairman (Collin) Daly and the mayor’s office that if you want a fair representation, you have to draw districts to reflect that. They have to take notice that you can’t just willy nilly decide how a district should be drawn.”

Reworking the congressional maps will be a “good start,” Woodruff said. “Nothing is going to 100 percent, but you’ve got to get closer to 100 percent. If you don’t have voting rights, you don’t have civil rights.”

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office told the Associated Press that Monday’s ruling will be appealed — something that both Woodruff and Hines said they are apprehensive about.

“Of course it will be appealed. We have some concern with that,” Hines said, stating a sentiment that Woodruff shared.

“I expect that,” Woodruff said about an appeal, “I’m concerned.”

Chairman of the Limestone County Republican Party Noah Wahl noted that the timing of the decision was ill-advised given that the original date for candidate qualifying was to be Friday.

“I’m extremely disappointed that this is happening just before qualifying day,” Wahl said. “I appreciate the concerns the judges have, but it would have been better had it happened a few weeks ago.”

The administrative calendar for the 2022 statewide election states that candidates seeking nomination by a party primary must file a declaration of candidacy with the state party chairman no later than 5 p.m. Jan. 28. The ruling throws this date into disruption, Wahl said.

It also has forced lawmakers to now draw a remedial plan by early-February. The result is mired in confusion, Wahl said, and the financial fallout from reworking the election cycle at such a late date could put an extensive burden on taxpayers.