Georgia lawmakers returned to the state Capitol Wednesday for a special session that could reshape political boundaries ahead of 2028, reviving a redistricting fight in one of the nation’s most closely watched battlegrounds.
Gov. Brian Kemp called the session last month after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais, CBS News reported. The proclamation allows lawmakers to consider new districts for the Georgia Senate, Georgia House, U.S. House and other district-based state offices.
The ruling narrowed how race can be used when drawing political maps, giving Republican-led states new legal footing to revisit districts created under older Voting Rights Act standards. The Associated Press reported no proposed maps had been released as lawmakers returned, frustrating Democrats and voting rights activists who warned against redrawing lines outside public view.
The stakes are especially high in metro Atlanta, where minority and Democratic-leaning voters have reshaped state politics. State Rep. Michelle Au, who represents Johns Creek and parts of Alpharetta, told CBS her previous Senate district was targeted in 2021 and noted her area has one of Georgia’s highest concentrations of Asian American voters.
Any new maps would likely take effect in 2028, not the 2026 midterms. The National Conference of State Legislatures notes Georgia is the first state to take official steps toward drawing new maps for 2028 after the Callais decision.
Lawmakers face an election-system problem tied to QR codes on ballots. A 2024 law bars the barcodes from being used for official vote tabulation after July 1, and The Associated Press reported no replacement method has been implemented.
The session gives Republicans a chance to redraw political terrain while Democrats prepare to challenge maps they say could dilute minority voting power. The fight could shape Georgia’s congressional and state legislative contests long after this year’s campaigns end.
