Georgia

Congressional & Legislative

Primary Authority: Plans are drawn and enacted by the Georgia General Assembly, subject to the Governor’s veto. The General Assembly can override a veto with a 2/3 vote in each chamber. No party currently has a veto-proof majority in either chamber. [Ga. Const. art. III, § 2, ¶ 2]

If a bill is presented to the Governor during session, the Governor must sign or veto it within 6 days; otherwise, it becomes law without signature. If the General Assembly adjourns fully or for more than 40 days within that 6-day period, the Governor must sign or veto it within 40 days of adjournment; otherwise, it becomes law without signature. Sundays are excluded from these calculations.

Mapping Timeline: Not specified.

Redistricting Criteria:

• Congressional: None.
• Legislative: Contiguous. [Ga. Const. art. III, § 2, ¶ 2]

Map Challenges: Not specified.

Ballot Measure & Referendum Processes

Types of Measures: Only the Georgia General Assembly can refer constitutional amendments to the ballot. There is no statutory initiative or referendum process. [Ga. Const. art. X]

Previous Redistricting Cycles

2010

• Congressional
  • Original Plan – HB 20
    • Passed = August 31, 2011 (R-controlled)
    • Signed = September 6, 2011
    • Preclearance = Granted on December 23, 2011
  • Litigation History
    • Dwight v. Raffensberger, No. 1:18-cv-2869 (N.D. Ga. June 13, 2018): A group of African-American voters filed a federal lawsuit challenging Georgia’s enacted congressional plan as diluting African-American voting strength in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. On April 13, 2020, the case was dismissed upon stipulation of the plaintiffs.
• Legislative
  • Original Plans – HB 1 (House); SB 1 (Senate)
    • Passed = August 23, 2011 (R-controlled)
    • Signed = August 24, 2011
    • Preclearance = Granted on December 23, 2011
  • Adjusted House Plan – HB 829
    • Passed = February 23, 2012 (R-controlled)
    • Signed = February 23, 2012
    • Preclearance = Granted on May 11, 2012
  • Adjusted Senate Plan – SB 430
    • Passed = March 21, 2012 (R-controlled)
    • Signed = April 13, 2012
    • Preclearance = Granted on June 12, 2012
    • Used starting with 2014 elections due to delay in preclearance.
  • Litigation History
    • None

2000

• Congressional
  • Original Plan – SB 1
    • Passed = September 28, 2001 (D-controlled)
    • Signed = October 1, 2001
    • Preclearance = Granted on April 5, 2002
  • Litigation History
    • Georgia v. Ashcroft, 195 F.Supp.2d 25 (D.D.C. 2002): Georgia submitted its enacted congressional and legislative plans to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for preclearance. On April 5, 2002, the court granted preclearance as to the congressional and state House plans but denied it as to the state Senate plan.
      • The U.S. Supreme Court later vacated the initial preclearance objection in Georgia v. Ashcroft, 539 U.S. 461 (2003).
• Legislative
  • Original Plans – HB 14 (House); SB 1 (Senate)
    • Passed = September 6, 2001 (House); August 17, 2001 (Senate) (D-controlled)
    • Signed = October 1, 2001 (House); August 24, 2001 (Senate)
    • Preclearance = Granted as to House plan, denied as to Senate plan on April 5, 2002.
  • Revised Senate Plan – HB 1667
    • Passed = April 10, 2002 (D-controlled)
    • Signed = April 11, 2002
    • Preclearance = Granted on June 3, 2002
  • Second Revised Senate Plan – SB 386
    • Passed = January 21, 2006 (R-controlled)
    • Signed = March 1, 2006
  • Litigation History
    • Georgia v. Ashcroft, 195 F.Supp.2d 25 (D.D.C. 2002): Georgia submitted its enacted congressional and legislative plans to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for preclearance. On April 5, 2002, the court granted preclearance as to the congressional and state House plans but denied it as to the state Senate plan.
      • The U.S. Supreme Court later vacated the initial preclearance objection in Georgia v. Ashcroft, 539 U.S. 461 (2003).
    • Georgia v. Ashcroft, 204 F.Supp.2d 4 (D.D.C. 2002): After the initial senate plan was denied preclearance, the General Assembly enacted a revised senate plan (HB 1667) and submitted it to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for preclearance. The court granted preclearance on June 3, 2002.
    • Larios v. Cox, 300 F.Supp.2d 1320 (N.D. Ga. 2004): Plaintiffs challenged Georgia’s enacted congressional and house plans and revised senate plan on the grounds they violated various constitutional and statutory provisions. On February 10, 2004, the district court upheld the congressional plan but invalidated the enacted house plan and revised senate plan, finding they violated the one person, one vote requirement under the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, and ordered the plans be redrawn by March 1, 2004.
    • Larios v. Cox, 314 F.Supp.2d 1357 (N.D. Ga. 2004): After the district court struck down the enacted house plan and revised senate plan, the split-control General Assembly failed to agree on new plans by the court’s deadline. The district court appointed a special master to redraw the plans and on March 25, 2004, the court issued an order adopting the special master’s plans in the interim for use in the upcoming 2004 elections.
    • Kidd v. Cox, No. 1:06-cv-997 (N.D. Ga. May 16, 2006): After the General Assembly passed a second revised senate plan in 2006, plaintiffs challenged the plan asserting violations of one person, one vote under the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause and of partisan gerrymandering under the 1st Amendment. On May 16, 2006, the district court ruled in favor of the defendants and upheld the map after finding the plaintiffs failed to establish their claims.
    • Blum v. Schrader, 281 Ga. 238 (Ga. 2006): A group of voters challenged the General Assembly’s second revised senate plan on the grounds the Georgia Constitution prohibited mid-decade redistricting. On November 6, 2006, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled in favor of the defendants, finding that the state constitution did not limit redistricting authority to once a decade.

In The News

• U.S. judge upholds Georgia's congressional map in win for Republicans, Reuters (12/28/23)
• Georgia redistricting tests if the Voting Rights Act protects 'coalition districts', NPR (12/20/23)
• Georgia redistricting court fight could weaken Voting Rights Act (ajc.com), AJC (12/4/23)
• In GOP’s proposed Georgia congressional map, a key question is which voters are legally protected, AP (12/4/23)
• Balance of state’s political power on the table when lawmakers gather for special session next week, Georgia Recorder (11/22/23)
• Georgia says it will appeal a judge’s redistricting decision but won’t seek to pause ruling for now, AP (11/1/23)
• Judge says Georgia’s congressional and legislative districts are discriminatory and must be redrawn, AP (10/26/23)
• Redistricting Left Georgia Voters with Few Competitive Races, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (3/3/23)
• Federal Judge Upholds Georgia Redistricting for 2022 Elections, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (3/1/22)
• Federal Judge Leaves Georgia Map Favoring Republicans in Place for 2022 Midterms, The Hill (3/1/22)
• Lawsuit Challenges Georgia Redistricting of Seat Held by Rep. McBath, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (1/7/22)
• Georgia Redistricting Signed into Law and Lawsuits Quickly Follow, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (12/30/21)
• Georgia Passes Map that Aims to Gain Republicans a Seat in Congress, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (11/22/21)
• Republicans Clear Path for Final Vote on New Georgia Congressional Map, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (11/20/21)
• Georgia Redistricting: Proposed U.S. House Maps Give Republicans an Edge in 2022 Midterms, Savannah Morning News (11/18/21)
• Georgia House Wraps Up Legislative Redistricting with Passage of State Senate Map, Capitol Beat News Service (11/15/21)
• Georgia Senate Approves New State Maps in First Major Vote, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (11/9/21)
• Republicans Release Proposed Georgia House Map on Eve of Redistricting Session, Capitol Beat (11/2/21)
• Georgia Senate Dems Propose Districts that Would Narrow GOP Majority, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (10/27/21)
• Proposed Draft of Georgia Congressional District Map Released, 41NBC/WMGT (9/28/21)
• Path to Republican U.S. House Majority Boosted by Georgia Redistricting, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (9/13/21)
• Georgia Legislators Set Guidelines for Upcoming Redistricting, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (8/30/21)
• The Majority Rules: Republicans Hold onto Power in a Changing Georgia, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (8/27/21)
• Here’s what Georgians had to Say about 2021 Redistricting at Town Halls Across the State, GPB (8/10/21)
• With Record 2020 Turnout, Youth Activists Turn their Energy to 2021 Redistricting, NPR (7/13/21)
• Brass Gains Banking Chairmanship, Loses Redistricting, The Newman Times-Herald (1/15/21)
• Georgia Democrats Fall Far Short of Goal to Take State House, GPB (11/6/20)
• Democrats Fall Short as Georgia GOP Keeps State House Edge, AP (11/4/20)
• Aided by Big Money, GOP Holds Off Democrats in Statehouse Races, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (11/4/20)
• 2021 Redistricting Intensifies Battle for Georgia House, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (10/29/20)
• Kemp Urges Georgians to 'Do the Right Thing' and Fill Out Census, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (9/24/20)
• Georgia County Challenges Court-Ordered Redistricting, Courthouse News (9/23/20)
• Lawsuit over black voting power in Georgia dismissed, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (4/14/20)