ADVOCACY
Legislative Update:
Georgia Elections
By: Katie Roberts
It’s not a presidential election year, but there’s a good chance your mailbox, social media feed, television, and text messages won’t be able to tell the difference. The 2022 election in Georgia is going to be pervasive and unrelenting. That’s because this election cycle features all of Georgia’s constitutional officers, from Governor down to School Superintendent, including 14 Congressional seats, two Public Service Commission districts, and one US Senator. All 236 members of the Georgia House and Senate will face voters, as will thousands of local elected officials: judges, solicitors, county commissioners, board of education members, and others. It's easy to come across news about high-profile races: the latest fundraising statistics, polling numbers, endorsements, gaffes, and campaign stops. This article will instead highlight the election landscape in the House and Senate, particularly given the impact of redistricting and legislative retirements. First, a couple of reminders on how we got here.
Lines Drawn The US Constitution requires that representatives to the US House be apportioned according to the number of residents, determined by the national census that takes place every 10 years. The Georgia House and Senate convened for a special session in November 2021 to take data from the census and use it to redraw lines for Georgia’s 14 congressional seats, 180 state House seats, and 56 state Senate seats. The Governor signed the new maps into law in December; despite several legal challenges, they are in effect for the 2022 election season.
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Insight • Issue 2, 2022
