Eleventh Circuit Vacates the Georgia Section 2 Map Rulings and Remands Under Callais; Georgia House Republican Leaders Had Said They Would Not Redraw for 2028

On 08/25/2026 (opinion filed), a three-judge Eleventh Circuit panel (Rosenbaum, Lagoa, Wilson) vacated the Northern District of Georgia’s judgment in the appeals led by Alpha Phi Alpha (No. 23-13914) and remanded. The district court had held that Georgia’s maps violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and had permanently enjoined them. The panel did not rule on the merits. It held that Louisiana v. Callais (2026-04-29–scotus-callais-guts-section-2-vra-reworks-gingles-standard) came after briefing closed and that the district court should reassess first. The opinion is marked not for publication.

Two things follow, and one does not. The injunction against the Georgia maps no longer stands, and the case heads back to Jones in Atlanta (WRDW). The opinion’s text does not say which maps govern the coming general election. WRDW reports that the current district lines will remain in place for the foreseeable future; treat that as press characterization, not holding.

Georgia’s House Republican leaders had already said they would not redraw. WRDW reported on June 17, 2026 that, in a letter to Governor Kemp, who called the special session after Callais, the leaders wrote that they would not take up congressional or legislative redistricting for 2028 in that session. Kemp’s proclamation text was not retrieved.

Date kinds: 08/25/2026 is the date the opinion was filed. June 17, 2026 is the date on the WRDW report of the leaders’ letter. Detail and the other three states are in 2026-10-20-post-callais-redistricting-status-fl-ga-al-sc.