Reapportionment / Redistricting

New local, state, and federal district maps went into effect on January 1, 2023.

View and download the new Commission district maps.

The Charter for the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government (ACCGov) requires election district boundaries for ACCGov Commission districts to be reapportioned following the publication of each official federal decennial census. This allows for districts to change size as appropriate based on population changes over the previous 10 years.

The redistricting has several specifications. Each election district should consist of contiguous territory, have boundary lines set as the centerlines of streets or other well-defined boundaries as utilized by the United States Census Bureau, be as nearly equal in population as practicable, and comply with the requirements of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. The requirement for election districts to be as nearly equal in population as practicable is a Constitution requirement under the one person, one vote principle.

Redistricting from 2020 Census Data

Census data from the 2020 Census was released months later than usual due to delays caused by the pandemic. 

October 19, 2021 - Mayor and Commission approved a resolution requesting the assistance of the Board of Elections in preparing and recommending the redistricting plan for the Commission’s review and approval prior to its submission to the Georgia Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment Office for certification.

After a series of meetings and map draft versions, the Board of Elections voted to forward a series of maps for the 10 Commission districts to the Mayor and Commission. 

November 9, 2021 - The Mayor and Commission began reviewing the maps in a Work Session meeting.

December 7, 2021 - The Mayor and Commission voted at the Regular Session meeting on Tuesday, December 7, 2021 on an amended set of maps sent to the state.

January 6, 2022 - The GA House of Representatives provided a press release stating that State Representatives Houston Gaines (R-Athens) and Marcus Wiedower (R-Watkinsville) and State Senators Bill Cowsert (R-Athens) and Frank Ginn (R-Danielsville), had released a new proposed district map.

January 18, 2022 - The GA House of Representatives provided a press release stating that State Representative Spencer Frye (D-Athens) had released a new proposed updated map.

January 27 & February 7, 2022 - The Georgia House and Senate approved the set of maps proposed by State Representatives Gaines and Wiedower and State Senators Cowsert and Ginn. 

February 17, 2022 - The set of maps were signed by Governor Brian Kemp to go into effect as of January 1, 2023.

May 24, 2022 - The new maps were used for the first time for elections.

January 1, 2023 - The new maps went into effect for local, state, and federal elections.

Previous Redistricting Information

2011

In June 2011, a Reapportionment Committee determined which election districts needed to be reapportioned, held public meetings on the reapportionment process and potential reapportionment plans, and recommended a draft reapportionment plan that met the requirements of law to the Mayor and Commission.

The Mayor and Commission received public input on the recommendation and approved a reapportioned district map with 8 districts and 2 "super districts" to the state local legislative delegation for adoption by the Georgia General Assembly in its 2012 legislative session.

2012

In February 2012, Senator Cowsert and Senator Ginn introduced Senate Bill 494 in the Georgia State Senate. Senate Bill 494 was not the reapportionment plan recommended by the Mayor and Commission, but was a reapportionment plan made up of 10 single-member districts and no "super districts." The Georgia State Senate and House approved the bill. Governor Deal signed the bill. The adopted plan was approved by the U.S. Department of Justice.