A federal judge has ordered the Georgia legislature to create eight new black-majority electoral districts for the upcoming congressional and state elections in 2024. The decision comes as part of ongoing litigation following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Allen v. Milligan, in which the court upheld its interpretation of the federal Voting Rights Act (VRA). Several other states, including Florida, are also facing legal challenges over alleged racial discrimination in their electoral maps.
In the case known as Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity v. Raffensperger, Judge Steve C. Jones of the Northern District of Georgia found that the Georgia legislature had drawn the districts in a racially discriminatory manner, violating the VRA. In his 516-page order, Judge Jones directed the legislature to establish one new black-majority congressional district, as well as two new black-majority districts in the Senate and five in the House of Representatives.
Currently, Georgia has a delegation of nine Republicans and five Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, with both of its senators being Democrats. The Republican Party controls both chambers of the Georgia General Assembly, with the Senate consisting of 33 Republicans and 23 Democrats, and the House comprising 102 Republicans and 78 Democrats.
If the legislature fails to comply with the court’s order by December 8, Judge Jones has stated that he will undertake the map-drawing process himself. However, the ruling is likely to be appealed, and the federal appeals court may temporarily suspend the order if an appeal is filed. This means that the current districts may still be used in the upcoming elections if the order is put on hold.
Critics of the existing electoral districts argue that they do not accurately reflect the demographic changes in Georgia, particularly the growth of the non-white population. Judge Jones emphasized that the ruling does not imply that the Georgia General Assembly or Republicans are racist, stating that the VRA does not require such a finding.
In response to the order, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, a Republican, has called for a special legislative session to begin on November 29 in order to create the new maps. The ruling has been welcomed by groups advocating for fair voting rights, with Rahul Garabadu of the ACLU Foundation of Georgia stating that it corrects a grave injustice and paves the way for a fairer election cycle in 2024.
As the legal challenges continue and the appeal process unfolds, the creation of new black-majority districts in Georgia marks an important development in the ongoing fight for voting rights and fair representation.
