Read a PDF of our statement here.

On June 23, the Georgia General Assembly adjourned the special legislative session that began on June 17 without proposing a redistricting plan for a new congressional or legislative map. The Legal Defense Fund (LDF) applauds the strong grassroots organizing and coalition partners who opposed the mid-decade redistricting efforts that would have erased representation for Black Georgia voters and other Georgia voters of color.

The special session was called by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp to take advantage of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v. Callais - an anti-democracy decision that struck down a congressional map that provided fair representation for Black Louisiana voters and also eliminated the remaining Voting Rights Act safeguards against discrimination in redistricting.

In response, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) issued the following statement:

"Racially discriminatory redistricting is an insidious tactic used by those who would rather entrench the privileged power of a few at the expense of Black voters who have suffered discrimination in voting for centuries. While Georgia's postponement of redistricting for now is a welcome development, we will need continued vigilance and mobilization to protect the voting power of Black voters and other voters of color in Georgia.

"Georgia follows South Carolina as another state forced to halt its attempt to silence Black voters with discriminatory maps. LDF will continue the fight to protect fair maps and Black representation at all levels of government."

Additionally, LDF commends the thousands of voters who packed the Georgia Capitol, hosted regional activations, contacted their legislators, and responded to various calls to action to fight back against this effort to reduce Black political power. While several factors resulted in this outcome, the increased turnout in Georgia's primary and runoff elections, and the overwhelming resistance to mid-decade redistricting from voters, were a driving force behind this victory for fair representation.

In the wake of the Supreme Court's gutting of Section 2 of the VRA in Callais, LDF remains committed to establishing protections against racial discrimination in local redistricting.

To that end, LDF applauds the introduction of the Henry McNeal Turner Voting Rights Act - a state-level Voting Rights Act - in the Georgia Senate in February 2026. This piece of legislation, if enacted, would prohibit voter suppression and racial vote dilution; stop discrimination before it occurs; expand language access materials; prohibit voter intimidation, deception, and obstruction; boost election transparency; ensure judges interpret laws in favor of voters; and empower voters to fight discrimination in court.

To learn more about the Henry McNeal Turner Voting Rights Act, visit here.

To learn more about LDF's redistricting work, visit here.

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Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation's first civil rights legal organization. LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957, though it was founded under the leadership of Thurgood Marshall while he was at the NAACP. LDF's Thurgood Marshall Institute (TMI) is a division of LDF that undertakes innovative research and houses LDF's archive. In all media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF (do not include NAACP) and refer to the Institute as LDF's Thurgood Marshall Institute or TMI.