HR 12: Congressional, legislative, and other state-wide apportionment or district plans; provide for certain minimum standards - CA

Georgia's constitution currently lets the General Assembly redraw legislative districts after each census, requiring only that districts be made of contiguous territory. This resolution proposes a constitutional amendment adding detailed standards for how congressional, state Senate, state House, and other statewide district plans must be drawn. The amendment would require districts to have very tight population balance (within one person for congressional districts, within fifty for legislative districts), require mapmakers to try to keep counties, cities, school systems, voting precincts, and communities of interest whole, and flatly prohibit drawing maps to help or hurt any political party, organization, incumbent, or candidate. It also bars maps that deny racial minorities an equal opportunity to participate in politics or elect their chosen candidates. Any registered voter could sue in the superior court of their home county to challenge a map. If approved by the General Assembly, the change would go before Georgia voters for ratification in a statewide referendum.

• Adds new constitutional standards requiring congressional and legislative districts to stay within one person (congressional) or fifty persons (legislative) of the ideal population size.
• Prohibits drawing any statewide district plan with the intent or effect of favoring or disfavoring a political party, organization, incumbent, or candidate.
• Prohibits districts drawn to deny or reduce racial minorities' equal opportunity to participate in politics or elect their preferred candidates.
• Directs mapmakers to try to avoid splitting counties, municipalities, school systems, voting precincts, and communities of interest across districts.
• Gives any registered Georgia voter standing to challenge a district map in the superior court of the county where they live.
• Removes the current single sentence requiring only contiguous territory and replaces it with a more detailed contiguity definition excluding single-point connections.

Georgia voters statewide, who would decide the amendment in a referendum; the General Assembly, which draws congressional and legislative maps; political parties, incumbents, and candidates affected by redistricting; and racial minority communities whose voting power the amendment addresses.

If ratified, the amendment would give Georgians and courts a specific constitutional standard to challenge maps seen as drawn for partisan advantage, change how tightly districts must match in population, and require closer attention to county, city, and community boundaries when new maps are drawn after each census.

• Section 1 revises Article III, Section II, Paragraph II of the Georgia Constitution to add detailed apportionment standards for Congress, the state Senate, and the state House.
• Sets population deviation limits: plus or minus one person for congressional districts and plus or minus fifty persons for state legislative districts.
• Lists factors mapmakers must try to preserve: county lines, municipal lines, school system lines, precinct lines, and communities of interest (excluding relationships tied to parties or candidates).
• Bars any plan or district drawn with intent or effect of favoring or disfavoring a political party, organization, or incumbent.
• Bars districts drawn to deny or diminish racial minorities' equal opportunity to participate in politics or elect their chosen officeholders.
• Gives any registered elector standing to sue over a plan's constitutionality, with venue in the superior court of the challenger's home county.
• Section 2 sets the ballot question asking voters whether to prohibit drawing districts to favor or disfavor a party or incumbent.

1. 2026-06-20House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-06-18House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-06-17House Hopper (House)

• Carolyn Hugley (D, HD-141)Primary sponsor
• Samuel Park (D, HD-107)
• Tanya Miller (D, HD-062)
• Saira Draper (D, HD-090)
• Park Cannon (D, HD-058)
• Anne Westbrook (D, HD-163)

• redistricting
• gerrymandering
• voting rights
• constitutional amendment
• election maps