CASE SUMMARY

On December 30, 2021, a coalition of civil rights organizations led by the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP filed a federal lawsuit against the State of Georgia, its Governor, and its Secretary of State challenging the state’s enacted congressional and legislative plans as violating the U.S. Constitution and the federal Voting Rights Act (“VRA”). They alleged the plans were unconstitutional racial gerrymanders, diluted Black voters’ voting strength in violation of Section 2 of the VRA, and were enacted with racially discriminatory intent. They sought a judicial declaration the plans were unconstitutional and unlawful, a permanent injunction barring the plans from use in future elections, an order requiring the State to enact new, lawful plans, and an order subjecting Georgia to preclearance under Sections 3 and 5 of the VRA for the next ten years.

  • On February 3, 2022, the district court consolidated this case with another challenge to Georgia’s congressional plan, Common Cause v. Raffensperger.
  • On October 26, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia overseeing a separate set of Georgia redistricting challenges struck down the state’s congressional and legislative plans as violating the VRA and gave the State until December 8, 2023, to enact remedial plans.
  • On November 1, 2023, the district court stayed proceedings in this case until any appeals of the October 26 decision were resolved.
  • On November 3, 2023, the U.S. Attorney General notified the district court it would intervene in the case after being notified by the court that the constitutionality of Section 2 of the VRA had been called into question in this case.

Related and Similar Cases: Common Cause v. Raffensperger; Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. v. Raffensperger; Pendergrass v. Raffensperger; Grant v. Raffensperger

CASE LIBRARY

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division - No. 1:21-cv-5338

Georgia State Conf. of the NAACP v. Georgia
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