ATLANTA — Common Cause brought voters, advocates, and community leaders together Monday for its “People Over Maps” advocacy day, urging lawmakers to reject mid-decade redistricting and protect Georgians’ right to fair representation during the special session and beyond.
At a press briefing following the day of action, speakers called on lawmakers to reject the push for new maps and outlined the reforms needed to prevent future attacks on voters, including a Georgia Voting Rights Act and a federal ban on partisan gerrymandering and mid-decade redistricting.
“Georgia voters should choose their leaders — politicians should not get to choose their voters,” said Common Cause’s Georgia Policy Director Kyle Gomez-Leineweber. “People Over Maps Day is about making sure lawmakers stay true to their word, present no new maps, and listen to the communities whose voting power is on the line. We are showing up to demand fair maps, fair representation, and a democracy that puts people first.”
“Redistricting is a tool that should be designed to give every community a voice and the right to be represented fairly,” said Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta’s Policy Director Jennifer Lee. “AAPI and AMEMSA communities are among the fastest growing in Georgia, and we want for ourselves and for every community to be able to freely and meaningfully choose who represents them in government.”
“Georgia’s growth has been driven by minority communities that include Black, Latino, and AAPI,” said GALEO Impact Fund’s CEO Jerry Gonzalez. “The legislative leadership is conducting an unnecessary power grab to eliminate the representation that our communities currently have. Instead of competing with ideas about what they will do better to represent our communities and bring costs down, they are rigging the maps to stay in power.”
“Stopping redistricting during special session was an important victory, but the fight for a multiracial democracy is far from over,” said Asian American Advocacy Fund’s Policy Advocacy Manager Eulen Jang. “We know that attacks on voting rights, representation, and the political power of communities of color will continue, and we must be ready to meet them at every turn. Georgia must move forward with a state Voting Rights Act and stronger protections that ensure Black and Brown communities can fully participate in our democracy and have a meaningful voice in the decisions that shape our future.”
“Last week, a diverse group of voters raised their voices loudly and convinced lawmakers to cancel a mid-decade redistricting action that could have further gerrymandered our election maps,” said Fair Districts GA Foundation Chair Ken Lawler. “Citizens are demanding that maps be drawn to reflect and respect all voters’ voices from communities across the state. Citizens must remain vigilant to prevent any more attempts to redraw maps before the next census.”
“Black and Brown communities deserve fair representation and an equal voice in our democracy. Any attempt to dilute the voting power of our communities is a discriminatory practice and undermines the promise of a representative democracy,” said Poder Latinx Georgia State Director Leslie Palomino. “We are in unity with our coalition partners to continue to show up, speak directly to our legislators, and advocate for a system where voters choose their politicians, not the other way around, because every Georgian deserves a fair voice and a fair opportunity to shape the decisions that affect their families and communities.”
To view this release online, click here.
