Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc v. Raffensperger

ATLANTA, Ga. — Civil rights groups filed a federal lawsuit on Dec. 30, 2021 challenging newly drawn state House and Senate district lines as unlawfully minimizing the voting strength of Black Georgians. These new maps violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The challenged maps were approved by the General Assembly before Thanksgiving, yet Gov. Brian Kemp delayed his formal signature until the last possible moment — this afternoon — dramatically shortening the time that courts will have to evaluate the legality before the March filing deadline for the 2022 primary elections.

According to the lawsuit, the Georgia General Assembly could have — and should have — drawn more than a half-dozen additional new Black-majority districts in light of the tremendous growth of the state’s Black population over the last decade.