Advancement Project, Georgia NAACP File Lawsuit Challenging Racial Vote Dilution in Georgia
October 9, 2025
Washington, DC — Today, a federal voting rights lawsuit challenging the redistricting of Meriwether County, Georgia, was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Georgia NAACP and two Black Meriwether County registered voters by Advancement Project, along with the law firm Podolsky Law LLC. The lawsuit alleges that the district boundaries for the Meriwether County Board of Commissioners violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by diluting the voting strength of Black voters and leaving the Board with no Black representation, even though there had been two Black Commissioners in Meriwether County in the past.
The redistricting plan dilutes the voting strength of Black voters, drastically cutting the Black voting age population in the only district that had a Black commissioner at the time the plan was created in 2022. The new map gives the white voting age population an unbeatable majority in that district of more than 65 percent, resulting in a Black candidate losing to a white opponent in the subsequent election. The County’s leadership did not hold any public hearings addressing redistricting before adopting the current map even though the only Black commissioner on the Commissioners Court at the time requested one.
“Meriwether County has unlawfully erased Black political power at the Commissioners Court,” said Hani Mirza, Director of the Power and Democracy Program at Advancement Project. “The County Commissioners Court has wide ranging authority over Meriwether County’s affairs, including development and administration of critical infrastructure and services. The current map blocks Black representation at the Commissioners Court in a county with a historic and committed Black community that has long fought and won fights for racial justice. The current map must be struck down.”
“We will not stand by and watch Black voters in Georgia be stripped of their right to fair representation,” said Gerald Griggs, President of the Georgia NAACP. “Under this plan, Black voters in Meriwether County have not been able to elect any commissioner to the Board. This is a direct attack on this community’s political power.”
“I am here to stand up for my community and call for our voices to be heard at the Meriwether County Commissioner’s Court,” said Mr. James Bray, a Meriwether County voter. “Black people in Meriwether County deserve representation that reflects us and have our interests at heart. Our votes matter and that’s why we are taking action together.”
“The redistricting following the last census report divided a district that provided a legitimate opportunity for minority representation on the Board of Commissioners,” said Reverend James Clements, a Meriwether County voter. “This change placed minorities into two different districts, significantly reducing their chances of winning representation. We are simply asking for a fair and equitable opportunity for representation.”
To read the full complaint, please click here.
###
Advancement Project is a next-generation, multi-racial civil rights organization. Rooted in the great human rights struggles for equality and justice, we exist to fulfill America’s promise of a caring, inclusive and just democracy. We use innovative tools and strategies to strengthen social movements and achieve high impact policy change. We are a co-convener of the National Campaign for Police Free schools, a formation of 20+ youth-led grassroots organizations fighting to end the criminalization of youth in the classroom, create liberatory educational spaces, and implement an affirmative vision of safety and transformative justice. Visit www.advancementproject.org to learn more.
