Georgia Sec of State and federal court back up on prior statements
Georgia elections officials say they won't need to delay the July 20 primary elections _ or candidate qualifying for those races _ because of new legislative maps being drawn by a federal court this week.
As recently as last month, representatives of Secretary of State Cathy Cox _ who oversees elections _ argued it would be difficult for new maps to be drawn and voting computers reprogrammed in time for the election.
But a state attorney on Tuesday told a three-judge federal panel that merely shortening the period for absentee voting would be enough to get Georgia polls ready for the elections. ...
The special master's map, which did not consider the addresses of incumbents, put 87 representatives and senators in districts with at least one other incumbent.
After hearing formal complaints, the judges released a new map Monday freeing about two-thirds of the pairings and promising to consider more. -- Federal redistricting maps won't delay elections (AP via AccessNorthGa.com)