Early voting is underway for the April 21 referendum on a state constitution amendment to temporarily adopt new congressional districts in Virginia that were drawn up by the Democratic Party-controlled General Assembly.
The question on the ballot for the special election is as follows: “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?”
Republicans have filed multiple lawsuits challenging the legality of the referendum. The Virginia Supreme Court has ruled that the election would proceed, even though the court has not ruled on the merits of the legal challenges and won’t do so until after the election is held. Therefore, it’s possible the election could be ruled invalid after it has occurred.
Democrats currently hold six of Virginia’s 11 congressional seats. The proposed redistricting plan could allow Democrats to gain as many as four additional seats. Rockbridge County, Buena Vista and Lexington are currently in Virginia’s Sixth District, which is represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Ben Cline. Under the redistricting plan, all three of the Rockbridge area jurisdictions would move into the Ninth District, currently represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith.
Virginia’s voters in 2020 approved a state constitutional amendment to have a bipartisan commission draw the state’s legislative districts. The amendment contained a provision to have the Virginia Supreme Court draw the new lines if the bipartisan commission couldn’t agree to the redistricting plan. That happened, and the court’s redrawn district lines are the ones that are currently in effect.
Redistricting has traditionally occurred every 10 years following the completion of the U.S. Census population count. Middecennial redistricting is now occurring in several states, motivated by a desire of the party in power to gain an advantage in the congressional elections that are being held later this year. It began with the Republican- dominated state legislature doing it in Texas and was followed by the Democrat- dominated state legislature doing it in California. Several other states, including Virginia, have followed suit.
Whether Democrats are successful in gaining a redistricting advantage in Virginia depends on whether voters approve the April 21 referendum and, if so, whether the Virginia Supreme Court then upholds the legality of the vote. Because of the uncertainty posed by the proposed redistricting plan, primaries to determine party nominees in Virginia’s Nov. 3 congressional elections have been postponed from June 16 to Aug. 4. -None of the Rockbridge area governing bodies have weighed in on whether to support or oppose the proposed redistricting plan, though one has been asked to do so.
At last Thursday’s meeting of Buena Vista City Council, Dennis Hawes, Buena Vista at-large member of the Rockbridge Area Republican Committee, asked Council to adopt a resolution asserting that the proposed redistricting plan violates state code and encouraging the city electorate to vote “no” in the referendum.
No action was taken. City Council members suggested they would want to hear from their constituents before taking a stand on this issue.
