Georgia General Assembly Releases State House Maps

Today, the Georgia General Assembly released their official proposed draft of the Georgia House of Representatives voting map.   

Earlier this year, grassroots groups called for greater transparency in the Legislature’s process of drawing district lines. Groups have also urged that Georgia’s Open Meeting Act be amended to cover the General Assembly. 

Statement of Aunna Dennis, Executive Director, Common Cause Georgia 

As redistricting continues to move forward in Georgia, we reiterate our call on the Georgia General Assembly to focus their efforts on new maps that comply with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, build voting power for Black, Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indigenous and other people of color communities that have been historically marginalized, and provide accessible opportunities for meaningful public input. For too long, the redistricting process in Georgia has been conducted by partisan operatives behind closed doors. Georgians deserve better.  

The release of official draft maps is a good start, but it is not sufficient. We have seen over the course the redistricting process so far that the Georgia General Assembly has regularly ignored calls for additional transparency, including additional opportunities for members of the public to weigh in.  The Georgia General Assembly must provide time for the public to review the proposed maps and provide feedback. Further, public feedback on the draft maps should be taken into account in creating and enacting the final maps.  

Common Cause Georgia and our ally organizations are currently in the process of reviewing all proposed maps to understand their impact on the voting power of Black, Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indigenous and other people of color communities that have been historically marginalized, as well as partisan fairness, and traditional redistricting criteria.   Georgia is more diverse than ever before and Georgians deserve to vote in districts where everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, income-level or zip code, have an equal opportunity to elect representatives that share their values and lived experiences.