Right now, Republican state leaders in Alabama, Louisiana, South Carolina and Tennessee are moving to redraw congressional maps in the middle of active election cycles.

This isn’t routine redistricting. It’s a coordinated political maneuver that is designed to silence voters, disrupt elections already underway, and weaken representation for communities of color to give the Republican Party a default electoral advantage.”

In Alabama and Louisiana, Republican lawmakers are advancing redistricting efforts amid protests and legal challenges, raising serious concerns about fairness, representation, and the integrity of the electoral process.

In South Carolina, the Republican-led legislature is considering reconvening for a special session. NOW is the time to call your legislator and tell them NO. 

In Tennessee, Republican leaders are calling for a special session to redraw the state’s 9th Congressional District in Memphis - the only remaining Democratic-held seat in the state and a majority-Black district. This follows a similar move in 2022, when Nashville’s district was split to dilute voter power.

Let’s be clear:  These states are not being forced to act. They are choosing to. And they are choosing to do so after filing deadlines have passed and voting is already underway.

Elected officials should not get to choose their voters. Voters should choose their elected officials.

Take Action Now

Call or write your state legislators today. Make sure their offices hear from you now before the next legislative session begins!

(Tips on calling the U.S. from abroad.)

Call Script

Hi, my name is [YOUR NAME], and I am a constituent who votes in [CITY/STATE].

I’m calling to urge [REPRESENTATIVE/SENATOR NAME] to oppose any effort to redraw our Congressional district maps during the current election cycle.

Example language 1:
Redistricting now is a power play which our state should not stoop to. As my representative I am asking you to do the right thing. We all know why the Voting Rights Act was enacted. You have a choice to make about whether or not you want to go down in our great state’s history as someone willing to stand on the side of the people and justice for all - or not.

Example language 2:
As a voter living abroad, I already face barriers to participation. These last-minute changes make it even harder for my vote to count. They also risk my vote not counting at all if elections are suspended or delayed, or if my district no longer exists.

I urge [REPRESENTATIVE/SENATOR NAME] to vote NO on any mid-cycle redistricting efforts and to protect fair representation for all voters. Thank you.

What Our Leaders are Saying

“Moments like this are not a period, [but] a comma. They voted a decision, but we get to decide our response. They rendered an opinion, but now we have to render history.”
- Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)

“I would like to think that ...representation does matter, and it does make a difference. I think it is important that we remind them of the horrific past that this state has endured. [Republicans are] “working to secure an electoral victory by taking Alabama back to the Jim Crow era, and we won’t go back.”
- Rep. Terry Sewell (D-AL 7)

“Memphis has been a majority black district historically, because that is where the population is. It’s a district that is compact, and it has community purpose.”
- Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN 9)

Resources

• Alabama Legislature's special session draws protests in Montgomery, Birmingham | Alabama Reflector
• Alabama legislative committees approve GOP gerrymanders despite ongoing primary election | Democracy Docket
• Louisiana postpones primaries as states rush to redraw districts after supreme court ruling | The Guardian
• South Carolina joins Southern redistricting push after US Supreme Court ruling on minority districts | AP News
• Tennessee Republicans will consider redrawing US House district covering majority-Black Memphis | WRAL News 
• Your Voting Rights are Under Attack | TN Advocates for Planned Parenthood