Georgia Judge Orders Redrawing of Congressional and Legislative Maps to Increase Black Representation

A federal judge in Georgia has ordered the state to redraw its congressional and legislative maps, adding one majority-Black congressional district and seven majority-Black legislative districts. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones issued a 516-page order on Thursday, ruling that the current maps discriminated against Black voters in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

The judge has given the state’s Republican-controlled General Assembly and GOP governor until December 8th to take action, saying he won’t permit 2024 elections to go forward under the current maps. Jones also said the state must draw two new Black-majority districts in Georgia’s 56-member state Senate and five new Black-majority districts in its 180-member state House.

The ruling comes after a long-running legal battle over the state’s congressional and legislative maps. The plaintiffs argued that the maps were drawn in a racially discriminatory manner, and the judge agreed. He noted that the state must adopt remedial plans to remedy the Section 2 violations by incorporating additional legislative districts in which Black voters have a demonstrable opportunity to elect their candidates of choice.

The ruling is a major victory for voting rights activists, who have long argued that the state’s maps were drawn in a way that diluted the voting power of Black voters. It remains to be seen how the state will respond to the ruling, and whether the new maps will be in place in time for the 2024 elections.