Contradictory election mailers, conflicting TV ads and vague wording on the ballot have Virginia voters saying that the campaigns on either side of the redistricting vote are muddying the waters.
The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a lower court ruling that found Texas' 2026 congressional redistricting plan pushed by President Trump likely discriminates on the basis of race.
At issue is the Louisiana legislature's creation of a Black-majority congressional district, which a group of voters claimed was an illegal racial gerrymander.
This week on Georgia in Play: Rosalynn Carter, former first lady, was laid to rest in Plains this week. She was a well-beloved Georgian known for her deep commitment to humanitarian work. Plus, the state legislature is in a special session in order to redraw Georgia's voting maps after a federal judge ruled they discriminated against Black voters. Then, as the weather gets colder, single people are trying to find someone to get through "cuffing season" with. And City Café host John Lemley joins the panel to present holiday concerts to watch out for.
Tuesday on Political Rewind: Gov. Brian Kemp's trip to Israel is drawing international attention to a bill to fight antisemitism that failed under the Gold Dome. Meanwhile, a report notes that gerrymandering has left Georgia without a single competitive district. And who will voters blame if the U.S. debt defaults?
The state's highest court rejected new maps widely seen as favoring Democrats. The court largely agreed with Republican voters who argued the district boundaries were unconstitutionally gerrymandered.
Monday on Political Rewind: Partisan gerrymandering has reduced the number of competitive congressional seats to lows not seen for decades. Meanwhile, Georgia GOP legislators promote bills that would exert new control over the teaching of race in state classrooms. Also, the federal trial for the McMichaels for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery starts this week.
In anticipation of the gerrymandering lawsuits that are sure to follow, political strategists, voting rights groups, and scholars alike are assessing the consequences of Georgia’s newly drawn legislative districts for the state’s political landscape.
They say it’s already apparent that, in a state where Republicans and Democrats consistently poll neck-and-neck, the number of truly competitive districts for both parties is dwindling to zero.
Wednesday on Political Rewind: Election candidates wonder if they can win a Republican primary contest in 2022 without former President Donald Trump’s backing in the aftermath of his raucous rally in Perry. Also, a draft map of new congressional districts in Georgia stirs up conversation.
While Georgia’s redistricting process is inherently partisan, there are measures that experts say can be employed to make the process fair and transparent. But a Georgia News Lab/GPB News review finds the state falls far short of those measures.
As the once-a-decade process of redrawing Georgia’s legislative and congressional districts gets underway, government accountability groups and members of the public are calling on lawmakers to increase transparency and public input in the process.
As controversy swirls over the comprehensive new voting law that drastically alters Georgia’s election system, another battle with equally profound implications looms on the horizon: redistricting.
