October Luncheon Recap: Update on Georgia’s Redistricting Process

House representatives Scott Holcombe (District 82) and Stephanie Stuckey Benfield (District 85) were the guest speakers at October’s DeKalb Bar luncheon. They graciously attended to update our members on the recent litigation surrounding Georgia’s Reapportionment Committee and the redistricting process. The new maps have been approved by the Legislature and signed by Governor Deal. Since Georgia is one of the nine states that are required to have their districts “pre-cleared” under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, the State must now seek preclearance by either submitting to the Department of Justice or the D.C. District Court.

Although about 99 percent of pre-clearances are done through the Department of Justice, the Georgia Attorney General and Special Assistant Attorney General filed a complaint in the D.C. District Court asking the Court to either apply the redistricting maps as they are drawn or declare Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional. If denied preclearance, Georgia will have to re-draw the maps. If approved, Representative Holcombe indicated that it is likely there will be private suits filed against the redistricting maps on the grounds that the maps violate Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act by politically dividing the state by race.

For the new maps to be in place for the 2012 elections, they will have to be pre-cleared by spring.

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