2021 Georgia Code
Title 21 - Elections
Chapter 1 - Congressional Districts
§ 21-1-2. Designation of Congressional Districts

The General Assembly shall by general law divide the state into 14 congressional districts. There shall be elected one representative to the Congress of the United States from each such district by the electors of such district.

(Code 1981, §21-1-2, enacted by Ga. L. 2011, Ex. Sess., p. 208, § 4/HB 20EX.)

- Apportionment of House of Representatives and Senate, T. 28, C. 2.

- This Code section formerly pertained to designation of congressional districts. The former Code section was based on Orig. Code 1863, § 44; Code 1868, § 42; Ga. L. 1872, p. 12, § 1; Code 1873, § 40; Code 1882, § 40; Ga. L. 1890-91, p. 193, §§ 1-3; Civil Code 1895, § 31; Ga. L. 1905, p. 52, § 2; Ga. L. 1905, p. 54, § 2; Ga. L. 1905, p. 55, § 2; Ga. L. 1905, p. 57, § 2; Ga. L. 1905, p. 58, § 2; Ga. L. 1905, p. 60, § 2; Ga. L. 1905, p. 62, § 1; Ga. L. 1905, p. 63, § 2; Civil Code 1910, § 33; Ga. L. 1911, p. 146, § 1; Ga. L. 1912, p. 38, § 1; Ga. L. 1912, p. 41, § 1; Ga. L. 1912, p. 108, § 1; Ga. L. 1914, p. 23, § 2; Ga. L. 1914, p. 27, § 1; Ga. L. 1914, p. 29, § 1; Ga. L. 1914, p. 33, § 1; Ga. L. 1916, p. 17, § 1; Ga. L. 1917, p. 41, § 1; Ga. L. 1917, p. 44, § 1; Ga. L. 1918, p. 102, § 1; Ga. L. 1918, p. 106, § 1; Ga. L. 1919, p. 68, § 1; Ga. L. 1920, p. 34, § 1; Ga. L. 1920, p. 38, § 1; Ga. L. 1920, p. 48, § 1; Ga. L. 1920, p. 52, § 1; Ga. L. 1921, p. 88, § 1; Ga. L. 1924, p. 39, § 1; Ga. L. 1931, p. 46, §§ 1, 2; Code 1933, § 34-2301; Ga. L. 1964, p. 478, § 1; Code 1933, § 34-1801, enacted by Ga. L. 1971, Ex. Sess., p. 89, § 1; Ga. L. 1972, p. 235, § 1; Ga. L. 1981, Ex. Sess., p. 131, § 1; Code 1981, § 21-2-4; Ga. L. 1991, Ex. Sess., p. 92, § 2; Ga. L. 1992, p. 335, § 2; Ga. L. 1992, p. 833, § 2; Ga. L. 1993, p. 863, § 1; Code 1981, § 21-1-2, as redesignated by Ga. L. 2001, Ex. Sess., p. 335, §§ 2-4; Ga. L. 2005, p. 728, §§ 1, 2/HB 499 and was repealed by Ga. L. 2011, Ex. Sess., p. 208, § 4/HB 20EX, effective September 6, 2011.

Ga. L. 2011, Ex. Sess., p. 208, § 1/HB 20EX, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that: "This Act shall be known and may be cited as the 'Georgia Congressional Reapportionment Act of 2011.'"

Ga. L. 2011, Ex. Sess., p. 208, § 2/HB 20EX and the attachment thereto identified as "Plan: congprop2 Plan Type: Congress Administrator: H167 User: Gina", not codified by the General Assembly, contains the description of the congressional districts and related definitions, effectiveness, and applicability provisions.

- For article, "Local Government Tort Liability: The Summer of '92," see 9 Ga. St. U. L. Rev. 405 (1993).

JUDICIAL DECISIONS

Unconstitutionality of Second Congressional District.

- The Second Congressional District was drawn to segregate voters according to their race and so violated equal protection. Johnson v. Miller, 922 F. Supp. 1552 (S.D. Ga. 1995).

- Race was the predominant, overriding factor explaining the General Assembly's decision to attach to the Eleventh District various appendages containing dense majority-black populations, thereby giving rise to a valid equal protection claim under the principles announced in Shaw v. Reno, 509 U.S. 630, 113 S. Ct. 2819, 125 L. Ed. 2d 511 (1993), and the district could not be sustained as narrowly tailored to serve a compelling governmental interest. Miller v. Johnson, 515 U.S. 900, 115 S. Ct. 2475, 132 L. Ed. 2d 762 (1995).

- Parties alleging that a state has assigned voters on the basis of race are neither confined in their proof to evidence regarding the district's geometry and makeup nor required to make a threshold showing of bizarreness. Miller v. Johnson, 515 U.S. 900, 115 S. Ct. 2475, 132 L. Ed. 2d 762 (1995).

RESEARCH REFERENCES

Am. Jur. 2d.

- 16 Am. Jur. 2d, Constitutional Law, § 32.

- 16 C.J.S., Constitutional Law, § 73 et seq.

- Validity and construction of statute or ordinance relating to distribution of advertising matter, 114 A.L.R. 1446.

Propriety of using census data as basis for governmental regulations or activities - state cases, 56 A.L.R.5th 171.

Application of constitutional "compactness requirement" to redistricting, 114 A.L.R.5th 311.

State court jurisdiction over congressional redistricting disputes, 114 A.L.R.5th 387.