Federal Judge Orders Georgia to Create New Black-Majority Electoral Districts

Democrat-appointed judge ordered Republican legislature to create one new black-majority congressional district and seven such districts for state elections.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp delivers the State of the State address on the House floor of the state Capitol in Atlanta, Ga., on Jan. 25, 2023. AP Photo/Alex Slitz, File

A federal judge ordered the Georgia legislature on Oct. 26 to create a total of eight new black-majority electoral districts for 2024 congressional and state elections by Dec. 8.

The courts are now dealing with a torrent of litigation spurred by the Supreme Court’s 5–4 decision in June in Allen v. Milligan. In that case, the conservative-dominated court unexpectedly stood behind its interpretation of the federal Voting Rights Act (VRA), rejecting Alabama’s request to leave its legislature-approved electoral map in place.