ATLANTA — A federal judge appeared undecided Monday on whether Georgia’s new political maps discriminate against Black voters, and if so, whether to throw them out and delay this year’s primary election.
After six days of court hearings concluded, U.S. District Judge Steve Jones could rule as soon as next week on lawsuits seeking additional majority-Black congressional and state legislative districts in Georgia.
Jones is considering allegations that redistricting weakened representation of Black voters even as their population grew by nearly 500,000 over the last decade. Under the new maps, four of Georgia’s 14 congressional districts have a majority of nonwhite voters, the same as before redistricting.
