A federal judge has ruled that the state of Georgia’s congressional layout is unconstitutional.
A report reveals that the state legislature has been given until December to comply with the judge’s decision to redistrict. Georgia Republican leaders said they plan to challenge the decision in court. The immediate political ramifications are unclear, although it might result in the formation of an extra majority-Black district in Georgia.
Obama appointee Judge Steve C. Jones has given the state legislature until December 8 to pass a new map. By (allegedly) reducing the voting power of black citizens, the present district boundaries are found to violate the federal Voting Rights Act, according to the ruling.
Republican Governor Brian Kemp signed a declaration convening the legislature on November 29 to address redistricting.
The state is likely to file an appeal.
According to a study by the University of Georgia in January, no black voters in Georgia reported a negative voting experience in the midterm elections of 2022.
Seventy-three percent of black voters said they had an “excellent” experience in casting votes, 23 percent said they had a “good” experience, 3 percent said they had a “fair” experience, and 0% said they had a “poor” experience, according to a poll published in a Georgia-based newspaper.
The 73% of black voters who rated their experience as “great” is identical to the 73% of white voters who gave the same rating.
More than 95% of the 1,253 people polled said they had a “great” or “good” overall experience voting, with 4% saying it was “fair” and fewer than 1% saying it was “bad.”
Voting went off without a hitch in Georgia, despite repeated warnings from prominent Democrats that the state’s Election Integrity Act of 2021 would suppress the votes of racial minorities.
The survey was conducted in 2022 between November 13 and the day of the runoff election on December 6.
