🚨BREAKING: Ivey Calls Special Primaries in Four Districts

Governor Kay Ivey has officially called for special primary elections in Alabama’s 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th Congressional Districts, moving quickly after a major U.S. Supreme Court ruling reopened the State’s long-running redistricting fight.

The Governor has set the day of these special primaries as August 11, 2026.

The August 11 date for the special primaries makes a runoff in these races impossible. Under Alabama law [§ 17-14-31(b)], party certifications for nominees must be filed “no later than the 82nd day preceding the day fixed for the election” — in this case, November 3, 2026. Since the 2026 general election is November 3, 2026, the 82nd day before the election falls on August 13, 2026.

The Alabama Secretary of State previously applied that same 82-day rule to the 2024 presidential ballot certification dispute, so there is a strong, recent precedent for upholding it in this cycle.

The Governor issued the writ of election Tuesday, setting the stage for possible new Congressional boundaries ahead of the 2026 general election. The proclamation follows the Legislature’s recent passage of contingency legislation allowing Alabama to hold special elections if federal court injunctions blocking earlier district maps are lifted.

The action comes after the U.S. Supreme Court vacated a lower court ruling tied to Alabama’s Congressional map and directed further review in light of the Court’s recent decision in Louisiana v. Callais. That ruling sharply narrowed the use of race in redistricting cases and immediately shifted the legal landscape across the South.

While the Governor’s proclamation does not itself redraw district lines, it strongly suggests the administration believes Alabama is likely to prevail in ongoing litigation before the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. As of Tuesday morning, the appeals court had not yet issued a final ruling clearing the way for the State’s preferred maps to take effect.

Even so, the State is now openly preparing for that outcome.

In a statement issued after signing the enabling legislation last week, Ivey said:

“With this special session successfully behind us, Alabama now stands ready to quickly act, should the courts issue favorable rulings in our ongoing redistricting cases. I thank the Legislature for answering my call to address the issue in fast order. I am grateful to Speaker Ledbetter and Pro Tem Gudger for their strong leadership and focus this week. Alabama knows our State, our people and our districts best.”

The special election legislation was approved during a rapidly called special session of the Alabama Legislature earlier this month. Lawmakers passed House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 1 to authorize special Congressional and State senate elections if Alabama is permitted to return to district maps previously drawn by the Legislature in 2021 and 2023.

Under the current court-ordered map, Alabama has two majority-Black Congressional districts. Those districts elected Democrats Terri Sewell and Shomari Figures. State Republicans have argued the map relied too heavily on race and improperly split communities of interest.

The Governor’s proclamation also creates fresh uncertainty for candidates and voters already preparing for Alabama’s regularly scheduled May 19 primary elections. State officials have maintained that those primaries will still proceed as planned, with special elections to follow later if the courts approve the map changes.

In announcing the original special session, Ivey framed the legal fight as part of a broader dispute over federal oversight of Alabama elections.

“Following the successful 2020 census, Alabama maintained our representation in Congress, and I called a special session to redraw our maps,” Ivey said earlier this month. “Since then, we have been battling federal courts and activist groups who think they know Alabama better than Alabama.”

The legal battle is far from over. Civil rights groups are expected to continue challenging any attempt to revive the previous maps, arguing the changes would weaken Black voting power in Alabama.

Still, Monday’s proclamation marks the clearest signal yet that State leaders believe the courts may soon hand Alabama Republicans a major redistricting victory.