ATLANTA — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp formally issued a call for a special session of the legislature related to redistricting in the state.
Channel 2’s Richard Elliot spoke to representatives from both political parties about how the special session was initiated in the wake of the recent landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that made it so race cannot be used to redistrict and create majority-minority voting districts.
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Since the SCOTUS decision on April 30, Republican legislatures around the southern United States have scrambled to redraw district lines for both the states’ general assemblies and districts for U.S. Congress.
Members of the Democratic Party of Georgia told Elliot the news would galvanize their voters, and they’ll be working hard to stop the redraw.
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They also sent a statement, saying:
“Governor Kemp’s decision to call a special session to redraw our maps immediately in the wake of the gutting of the Voting Rights Act is not only a brazen attempt to take away the voting power of Black Georgians – it shows just how scared Republicans are of Georgia voters.
“This shameful ploy underscores yet again the importance of electing a Democratic governor who will veto racially gerrymandered maps; seating pro-democracy judges Jen Jordan, Miracle Rankin, and Will Wooten on our state’s highest courts; defending Jon Ossoff’s Senate seat; and electing Democrats up and down the ballot who will be accountable to Georgia voters – not try to silence them to hold onto power.
“Finally, make no mistake: Republican attempts to strip Georgians of their access to fair representation will only galvanize Georgia voters further. We will show up to the polls in record numbers and power Democratic victories at every level of the ballot.”
On the other side of the aisle, members of the Georgia Republican Party applauded the governor, saying that the state “must move forward with aggressive redistricting that fully eliminates racial gerrymandering.”
But whatever lawmakers here decide, it will not affect voting districts for the coming November midterms. The maps would take effect for the 2028 primaries and general elections.
The session will also have lawmakers work on changes to the state’s electoral and ballot process in response to a 2024 law revolving around the use of paper ballots and QR codes.
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