The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for May 29, 2025
In a recent report from Georgia, we told you about voters contesting a mass voter eligibility challenge by election conspiracy group True the Vote. In another 11th Circuit courtroom that same week, a group of Black voters challenged the voting districts for metro Atlanta.
The Georgia Recorder reports that a judge ruled in 2021 that after the 2020 U.S. Census, the Georgia legislature failed to account for growth of Black voters in metro Atlanta, and needed to include additional majority-minority congressional, state house, and state senate districts. The current suit before a three-judge appeals panel contends that the court ordered maps drawn by the legislature in 2023 may not have met the judge’s requirements, and instead kept the status quo.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s brief contends that the Voting Rights Act Section 2 should no longer be in use. He argues that the plaintiffs must prove that the motivation for the maps was racial discrimination – not legal under the federal VRA – and not for partisan political reasons, which the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled is inherently a state issue.
Anti-voter arguments citing Equal Protection Clause, and “it was political, not racial gerrymandering” are increasing, in an effort to neutralize VRA protections for minority voters.
Expect an opinion in the case in the coming months.
We have more on the long history of the case at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Georgia Recorder – (2021) State lawmakers ready to wrap congressional redistricting with a GOP bow
Brennan Center for Justice – District Maps Show How Georgians of Color Are Underrepresented in Local Government
American Redistrict Project – Georgia State Conf. of the NAACP v. Georgia
Georgia NAACP – (2023) Georgia NAACP calls for rejection of newly approved legislative maps in federal court.
Georgia Recorder – Long simmering dispute over Georgia political maps drawn after 2020 Census returns to federal court
Courthouse News Service – Battle over Black voter suppression in Georgia returns to federal court
Groups Taking Action:
ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, NAACP Georgia, Brennan Center for Justice
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
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