Georgia political maps ruling vacated by federal appeals court

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has vacated a 2023 ruling that found Georgia’s 2021 political maps violated the Voting Rights Act. The appeals court ordered the lower court to reexamine the case under a new legal standard.

The decision follows a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which established that plaintiffs must prove “intentional racial discrimination” to overturn gerrymandered districts. This higher evidentiary threshold affects the ongoing litigation regarding whether Georgia’s maps illegally diluted the voting strength of Black residents.

In 2023, District Court Judge Steve C. Jones had ruled that the Republican-approved maps violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and ordered a redrawing of the lines. A three-judge panel on the 11th Circuit stated that because of the significant change in law, the district court must reconsider whether the plans violate the Act under the updated Callais framework. This ruling will not impact the maps used for the 2026 midterm elections.