Voters in Virginia have approved a proposal to redraw the state’s congressional map, according to the Associated Press, though legal challenges are expected before the changes can take effect.
The Tuesday referendum involved a constitutional amendment that would allow state legislators
to redraw congressional district boundaries mid-decade. Under current law, redistricting in Virginia occurs once every 10 years following the U.S. Census and involves a bipartisan commission, WRIC reported late Tuesday.
Under the plan, many residents of Virginia would be placed in new congressional districts, changing which members of Congress represent them and vote on their behalf. Based on historical voting patterns, 10 of the state’s 11 districts would be expected to favor Democrats.
The proposal has drawn sharp political disagreement. Democrats in Virginia have described it as a response to redistricting efforts in other states following actions supported by President Donald Trump. Republicans in the state, meanwhile, have criticized the plan as an example of gerrymandering, arguing it could unfairly advantage one party, the outlet reported.
The final vote tally as of Wednesday morning was 51.5 percent in favor of the amendment versus 48.5 percent who voted against it. Then-Vice President Kamala Harris only won Virginia by 5 points in 2024, and as recently as last year, all of the state’s top elected positions – governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general – were held by Republicans.
However, the measure, though approved, still faces a key legal hurdle: the Supreme Court of Virginia. The measure has been tied up in litigation since before Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed the legislation into law. A judge in Tazewell County twice moved to block the proposal, but the Virginia Supreme Court later allowed the referendum to proceed.
In its ruling, the court cited precedent indicating that elections should not be halted and said it would review the measure after the vote if it were approved by voters.
“[This case] involve[s] weighty assertions of invalidity against the process employed by
the Virginia General Assembly in an effort to submit a proposed constitutional amendment to the citizens of the Commonwealth,” the justices said in their opinion. “These issues are of grave concern to the Court. But consistent with [past precedent], we offer no opinion on the ultimate resolution. It is the process, not the outcome, of this effort that we may ultimately have to address. Issuing an injunction to keep Virginians from the polls is not the proper way to make this decision.”
Virginia Democrats are currently facing two challenges concerning the legality of their redistricting plan. They are accused of violating procedural rules by adding the proposal to the 2024 Special Session of the General Assembly, and they are also alleged to have used misleading language to describe the plan on the ballots, WRIC noted.
Former Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) criticized the state’s newly approved redistricting referendum in a post on X, thanking voters who opposed what he described as an “egregious power grab.”
“The race was much closer than the left expected because Virginians know a 10-1 map is not Virginia,” Youngkin wrote, urging the Virginia Supreme Court to strike down what he called an unconstitutional process that would “disenfranchise millions of Virginians.”
Former President Barack Obama took to social media to laud the measure’s passage, drawing the ire of many on various platforms after he came out in opposition to Texas’ redistricting effort last year. In a post on X, Obama congratulated Virginia and said the vote showed what it looks like to “stand up for our democracy and fight back.”
Former DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin called the Obama’s claims “a farce.” Turning Point USA activist Savannah Hernandez rebuked the political power play. Former Tennessee basketball coach Bruce Pearl rebuked “restore fairness” claim as patently “unfair.”
