Special session: Georgia lawmakers drop redrawing boundary lines

A large group of protesters stand on white marble stairs, holding a myriad of colorful signs
People protest Gov. Brian Kemp's proposed plan to consider redistricting Georgia's political maps on the first day of the special session on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)

Several large crowds gathered at the Georgia State Capitol to protest against Georgia’s Republican leaders from redrawing congressional and legislative lines on the state’s political maps. Georgia lawmakers were scheduled to reconvene for a special session on Wednesday to redraw boundary lines for the 2028 election cycle, but have since scrapped that plan.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp had called for the special session following a Supreme Court ruling in April that weakened discrimination protections in the Voting Rights Act, therefore ruling that lawmakers no longer have to take into account racial demographic data when drawing boundary lines.

WABE politics reporter Rahul Bali joined “Closer Look” to discuss the latest. Bali and Scott’s conversation took place before Republican leaders decided not to redraw political maps during this summer’s special session.

In addition to redrawing maps, other items on the session’s agenda included figuring out election procedures after a Georgia law struck down the use of QR codes on ballots, as well as deciding if local property tax referendums should be added to the November ballot.