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Georgia lawmakers will be headed back to the Capitol in a few weeks.  Gov. Brian Kemp Wednesday called for a special session to begin on June 17 – one day after the likely June 16 Primary Runoff Elections – for two specific purposes: to redraw the state’s political maps and to overhaul Georgia’s voting system.  This follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s April 29 finding that Louisiana’s second majority-Black congressional district relied too heavily on race in its construction and was therefore an unconstitutional gerrymander. 

According to the Governor’s order, lawmakers will consider “enacting, revising, repealing or amending state law for the division of Georgia into appropriate districts for the State Senate, State House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives, or any other state office elected by district, with any changes set to take effect for the 2028 election cycle.” 

The second is to address issues created by a July 1 effective date for changes to the state election code enacted under a 2024 Georgia law revolving around the use of paper ballots and QR codes.  

The end date was not set in the proclamation. 

Georgia Republican Party Chairman Josh McKoon applauded the action by Kemp. “I applaud Governor Brian Kemp for calling a special legislative session on June 17 to address redistricting. This decisive leadership gives the General Assembly the opportunity to do what’s right for Georgia in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais. 

“We must now move forward with aggressive redistricting that fully eliminates racially gerrymandered districts and draws new maps rooted in traditional, race-neutral principles: compactness, contiguity, respect for county and municipal boundaries, and keeping communities of interest together,” McKoon added. “Georgians deserve fair districts that reflect the will of the voters—not artificial racial quotas or outdated mandates that divide our state along racial lines. 

The Georgia Republican Party stands ready to support this important work. This is a historic chance to secure equal protection under the law for every Georgian and strengthen representative democracy. Let’s get it done.” 

On the other side of the aisle, Democrats are not happy with the decision. Georgia’s Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock said “I will fight this with everything I have.,” regarding the push for new maps. 

“There is an extreme movement in this country that will stop at nothing to hold on to power, even if it means stripping representation away from millions,” Warnock wrote on Twitter.