Georgia's ongoing redistricting challenge, explained

The Georgia House of Representatives begins the legislative session as the new Georgia House Speaker, Jon Burns, speaks at the Georgia State capitol on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Whether or not Georgia’s political maps are fair to Black voters is being questioned in a federal trial.

Three lawsuits are challenging Georgia’s state and congressional maps that were redrawn by Republicans in 2021. The state is accused of diluting the voting power of Black Georgians through racial gerrymandering, a violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA).

The redistricting process happens every 10 years after a census. University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock says that legal challenges to political maps are nothing new.