Georgia’s governor has set June 17 for a special session to redraw maps for the 2028 cycle, and South Carolina’s redistricting fight is teetering on the edge of early voting and legal chaos.

Governor Brian Kemp announced he’ll call the legislature back to settle maps for 2028, and that special session now has a firm date: June 17. Some Republicans grumble about the timing, but the reality is simple — finishing the job now under a Republican governor is the safer bet. Waiting or leaving maps unresolved before the next cycle would invite uncertainty and legal headaches.

The push to finalize maps stretches beyond Georgia. After the Callais decision narrowed the part of the Voting Rights Act that allowed race-based congressional apportionment, several Southern states moved quickly to lock in lines. Georgia’s effort will cover both congressional districts and state legislative boundaries, so the stakes are high for how the state’s political map looks in 2028.

South Carolina’s situation is messier. The state GOP appears to have the votes to pass a new congressional map designed to help Republicans, but the timing is a real problem. There is no practical way the plan will be signed by Gov. Henry McMaster before May 26, which is when early voting begins, and that creates a legal minefield.

Democrats are already telling their voters to turn out early, betting that heavy turnout under the current districts will strengthen court challenges. That strategy is creating visible unease among some Republican operatives in the state capital, who fear litigation and confusion could wipe out whatever advantage a new map might offer. The bill did clear a key cloture vote over the weekend, but it still needs a third reading and then final House action before it becomes law.

S.C. Senate Republicans acknowledged their proposal to redraw the state’s seven congressional seats for a GOP advantage will not pass in time for the start of early voting Tuesday, creating a fog of uncertainty around the plan’s viability as voters prepare to head to the polls.

Democrats, meanwhile, are urging their supporters to vote early in droves under the belief that the more voters who come out under the existing district lines, the more likely the plans will be thrown out in court.

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Facing an inevitable legal challenge, redistricting opponents say any attempt to redraw maps after early voting has started would amount to little more than an exercise in futility that could lead to millions of wasted dollars and widespread voter confusion.

That blockquote captures the heart of the problem: timing matters as much as substance. Trying to swap district lines once voters are already casting ballots invites lawsuits, throws money away, and risks alienating voters who just want a fair, understandable election. Republicans should be mindful that optics and process matter; doing this right means minimizing chaos.

For Georgia, the choice to set a clear date is a pragmatic one. Call it political realism: locking down the maps now under a Republican governor reduces the risk that a future Democrat-led administration or court rulings will undo the work. It’s not an elegant answer and it annoys some folks inside the tent, but in a winner-take-something environment, getting the job done matters.

South Carolina’s lawmakers face a tougher calculus because early voting changes the legal terrain overnight. If the legislature waits and then tries to force through new lines after ballots have started dropping, courts are likely to see that as irresponsible. Republicans in both states would do well to remember that winning on the merits also requires discipline on timing and transparency.