CASE SUMMARY

On December 30, 2021, a group of Georgia voters filed a federal lawsuit against Georgia’s Secretary of State and the members of Georgia’s State Election Board challenging the state’s enacted congressional redistricting plan as diluting Black voters’ voting strength in violation of Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act (“VRA”). They sought a judicial declaration the plan violated the VRA, a preliminary and permanent injunction barring the plan from use in future elections, and an order requiring the State to enact new a plan that complied with the VRA.

  • Between February 7 and February 14, 2022, the district court held a coordinated preliminary injunction hearing for this case and two other challenges to Georgia’s redistricting plans, Grant v. Raffensperger and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. v. Raffensperger.
  • On February 28, 2022, the district court issued a preliminary injunction barring the congressional and legislative plans from future use after finding the plaintiffs were likely to prevail on their VRA claims.
  • A consolidated trial for this case, Grant, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity was held from September 5 to September 14, 2023. On October 26, 2023, the district court struck down the state’s congressional and legislative plans as violating Section 2 of the VRA and gave the State until December 8, 2023, to enact remedial plans.
  • On November 22, 2023, Georgia appealed the district court’s judgment to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit but also proceeded to enact remedial congressional and legislative plans on December 8, 2023.
  • On December 28, 2023, the district court approved the State’s remedial plans as lawful.

Pendergrass v. Raffensberger is consolidated with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity v. Raffensberger and Grant v. Raffensberger. Up to date filings can be found on the case page for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. v. Raffensperger.

Similar Cases: Common Cause v. Raffensperger; Georgia State Conf. of the NAACP v. Georgia; Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. v. Raffensperger; Grant v. Raffensperger

CASE LIBRARY

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division - No. 1:21-cv-5339

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit - No. 23-13916

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit - No. 24-10231

Pendergrass v. Raffensperger
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