The commission has five members, each elected to represent one of five districts in Georgia. But elections for each seat are decided in a statewide vote; though the commissioners must live in the district they represent, a voter in Savannah or Augusta has as much say over the commissioner representing Atlanta as a voter who lives there.
By saying it would not consider the plaintiffs’ appeal, the supreme court let stand an appellate court decision that said Georgia’s statewide elections for local districts on the rate-setting body is constitutional.
The system was set up using statewide election of 5 commissioners 1907, when the Georgia State Legislature was doing things like passing things like the Felder-Williams Disenfranchisement Act to strip African-Americans of the right to vote. In 2000, they set up districts, but preserved the statewide-election thing.
Thanks!