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Georgia can keep using map that harms Black voters, appeals court says [1]

['Daily Kos Staff']

Date: 2023-11-27  

A federal appeals court has overturned a lower court ruling that had ordered Georgia to elect the members of its Public Service Commission on a district-by-district basis rather than statewide, concluding that the state "chose this electoral format to protect critical policy interests."

Last year, a federal district court determined that Georgia's system of electing all five commissioners in statewide elections violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting the power of Black voters. Plaintiffs had pointed out that only one Black candidate had ever won an election for the commission since its founding in 1879. The court ordered that elections for two seats that were set for 2022 be postponed until the state could enact a new district-based plan.

Republicans quickly appealed that order and won a stay from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, but the Supreme Court reversed that directive and allowed the lower court's ruling to stand pending further appeals. It's not yet clear whether plaintiffs will appeal this latest decision, which was also issued by the 11th Circuit.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/11/27/2208343/-Georgia-can-keep-using-map-that-harms-Black-voters-appeals-court-says?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_recent_news&pm_medium=web

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