Virginia voters have approved a ballot measure allowing Democrats to redraw the state's congressional districts with a 10-1 advantage. The move, which was approved by just over 50 percent of voters, grants the Virginia General Assembly temporary authority to redraw the congressional districts mid-decade. A bipartisan commission would regain its normal authority to draw the maps, which at present give Democrats only a 6-5 advantage, following the 2030 census.
The ballot question described the measure as an effort to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, but did not provide an image of the proposed map. Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) approved the legislation in February and threw her support behind it, despite previously calling gerrymandering detrimental to democracy. The vote is a significant development in the ongoing debate over redistricting in Virginia, which has been marked by intense partisan rivalry.
Legal Challenges Ahead
However, Tuesday's vote doesn't guarantee the gerrymandered maps will be implemented. GOP-led lawsuits before the Supreme Court of Virginia challenging the methods Democrats used to put the question on the ballot could make the vote moot. A lower court ruled on three grounds that Democrats' political maneuvers were illegal and described the ballot phrasing as misleading. The Supreme Court of Virginia is set to hear oral arguments on the case on Monday.
Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee, and Reps. Ben Cline (R, Va) and Morgan Griffith (R, Va) have filed a separate suit, repeating some of the same arguments and alleging that the phrasing on the ballot was misleading. The case has been fast-tracked to the Supreme Court of Virginia, which ordered the election to continue, but declined to rule on the merits until after the vote.