Georgia News(Week 3) - Gerrymandering

The Republican-dominated Georgia state Senate, according to a recent article, approved a new political map that reshapes Georgia's congressional districts, a move that could also help Republicans come election time. Republicans hope this move will "put Georgia back together" after a similar move by Democrats in 2001. Many, including Democrats, however, feel this is a "very, very flawed process" that shuts out African-Americans. Many incumbent Democrats are also at risk, as the redistricting will place them in the running against veteran Republican incumbents. The new districts will be reviewed by the U.S. Department of Justice, however, as Georgia is covered by the Voting Rights Act, given its "history of discrimination." I find the redistricting controversial, as the new districts obviously change the African-American vote, which helps Republicans for the most part. It is not surprising that Republicans favor this measure, however, as their likelihood of victory has greatly been increased by the new districts.

Link: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/legis05/0305/22legmaps.html