For the first time in 40 years, Georgia will not get any new congressional seats based on the latest federal census count. As a result, political power could shift in some Georgia counties when Georgia lawmakers begin redistricting later this year.
The Urban League is hosting a series of one-hour town hall meetings beginning this week to help people understand the impact of redistricting. The first town hall will be in Atlanta at 6 p.m. on Thursday and also broadcast virtually. Panelists and attendees will discuss the impact a political power shift could have on people’s everyday lives and how each citizen can get involved to influence these processes.
Nancy Flake Johnson, president and chief executive officer of the Urban League of Greater Atlanta, will moderate a panel that will look at the long-term effects of the Census count on the power of the vote in the region. Panelists include Fred McBride of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Theron Johnson, state director of All on the Line.
Redistricting of the state’s 180 House seats and 56 senate seats starts soon. The legislature could choose to redraw the districts and engage in “gerrymandering” to favor one political party over the other. The first 2020 numbers released on April 26 by the U.S. Census Bureau did not increase enough for Georgia to win more seats in the US Congress. As a result, Georgia keeps the 14 U.S. House districts that were allotted after the 2010 Census.
In addition to the Atlanta town hall, meetings also will be held at 6 p.m. in Savannah on June 10, Augusta, July 14, Columbus, Aug. 12, and Macon, Sept. 9.
To learn more or to reserve a spot for the Atlanta Redistricting 101 meeting, click here.