VIRGINIA NEWS – High expectations as Virginia redistricting amendment is on the ballot for a special election
By Renae Hefty
Virginia held a special election for a proposed amendment to the state’s constitution. The question on the ballot for voters to answer was “Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, while ensuring Virginia’s standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census?” Virginia’s last redistricting happened in 2021 and the constitution currently requires the next redistricting to happen in 2031. This new amendment allows the General Assembly to redraw Virginia’s congressional districts in time for the 2026 Congressional elections. A new district map has already been approved by the General Assembly, so it would take effect as soon as the amendment is approved by voters. If the amendment is approved, the power to redraw district maps would revert back to the Virginia Redistricting Commission in 2031. The polls for voting on the special election opened on Tuesday, April 21. The redistricting amendment would apply to the entire state of Virginia, and many voters could end up in a new district.
With the new district map, the Virginian Democrats’ 6-5 advantage over Republicans in the Virginia Congressional Delegation could increase to 10-1 in Congress. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s stance on gerrymandering
Various states have undergone redistricting, some at the behest of President Trump, who urged Republicans to use gerrymandering to gain an advantage in the House. Democrat-led states have redrawn their districts as a reaction to the Republican’s gerrymandering. There are currently four vacancies in the House of Representatives and Republicans have a 217-213 edge. They are expected to lose that edge in the midterm elections, because historically, the opposing party of the incumbent president becomes the new majority in the House of Representatives.
