Now that the Supreme Court has given states permission to eliminate majority black districts, Georgia’s Governor wants the Peach State to try its hand at a new map. Governor Brian Kemp is calling the state legislature into special session this month, setting up a June 17 meeting to tackle redistricting, a looming voting system deadline, and several other matters of state business.
Redistricting driven by Supreme Court ruling
The session’s most significant item stems from a United States Supreme Court decision handed down in April. In Louisiana v. Callais, the court struck down a majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana, a ruling widely seen as limiting the use of race as a primary factor in drawing electoral maps. The decision has prompted several Southern states, including Georgia, to reconsider their district boundaries.
Kemp’s proclamation directs lawmakers to consider new maps for the state Senate, the state House of Representatives, and Georgia’s seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Any new maps drawn during the session would take effect for the 2028 election cycle and would not affect this year’s races.
Georgia’s electoral maps have already been through one round of court-ordered changes. In 2023, a federal judge ruled the state’s maps illegally diluted the voting power of Black Georgians and ordered them redrawn. The legislature passed new maps that a court approved, though that ruling is currently under appeal.
Voting system deadline creates urgency
The session also takes on added urgency because of a ticking clock on Georgia’s voting machines. A 2024 state law bans the use of QR codes for counting votes, and that ban takes effect July 1, 2026. The state’s current voting machines rely on QR codes as a core part of how they tally ballots. Lawmakers have not yet authorized or funded a replacement system, creating what observers have described as a potential legal and logistical crisis heading into the next election cycle.
Other items on the agenda
Beyond redistricting and voting systems, Kemp’s proclamation includes several additional items for the session. Lawmakers will consider local acts related to a 2026 sales tax law, and the Senate will take up confirmation of various appointments the governor has made since the legislature adjourned in April.
The session will also address a gas tax suspension Kemp ordered in May. The governor suspended the collection of motor fuel and diesel fuel taxes beginning May 20, with that suspension expiring June 2. Lawmakers will be asked to ratify that executive action.
