ATLANTA — The ACLU of Georgia issues the following statement in response to Gov. Brian Kemp calling a special session for June 17, 2026, to address Georgia’s voting system and redraw the state’s voting maps following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais:
“Georgia lawmakers created a preventable crisis when they passed Senate Bill 189 in 2024 without providing counties the guidance or resources needed to comply with the law and eliminate QR code-based vote tabulation by July 1.” said Rachel Glover, associate director, ACLU of Georgia Voter Access Project. “Holding a special session is an appropriate solution to address this issue before it creates confusion and chaos for voters and election officials. Lawmakers must use this opportunity to extend the deadline for eliminating QR codes until 2028 and to ensure counties have a clear, uniform, and fully funded path forward. Georgians can make their voices heard during the special session by contacting lawmakers and demanding accessible elections in every community across our state.”
The governor’s decision to also redraw district maps during the special session follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Callais ruling, which weakened protections against racial discrimination in voting by gutting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
The ruling opened the door for lawmakers across the country, including in Georgia, to redraw voting maps in ways that could dilute the political power of Black voters. Although lawmakers will move forward with redrawing Georgia’s maps during the special session, the new districts will not take effect until the 2028 election cycle because voting for the 2026 elections is already underway. We will closely monitor the process and hold lawmakers accountable to drawing fair districts for 2028 and beyond.
Black communities fought for fair electoral representation over generations, and now it’s at risk of Jim Crow-era rollbacks. As redistricting battles unfold nationwide, the ACLU of Georgia urges every eligible voter to use the power of the ballot box in the primaries and in November to elect candidates committed to voting rights and equal representation for all Georgians.
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