Patrick T. Fallon / Bloomberg via Getty Images Originally published on June 29, 2021 2:50 pm A three-judge court has rejected Alabama's request to force the U.S. Census Bureau to move up the release of 2020 census redistricting data. The federal judges have also allowed the bureau to continue plans for a new way of keeping people's census information confidential. The ruling is expected to be appealed directly to the U.S. Supreme Court, setting up the next major legal battle at the high court involving last year's national head count and adding another layer of uncertainty to when the redrawing of voting districts around the country using 2020 census data can begin.