Virginia voters will decide on 21 April whether to hand the state legislature power to redraw congressional districts. The amendment would strip that authority from a bipartisan commission created just four years ago.
Why it matters
The result could shift up to four US House seats toward Democrats in November, making Virginia a pivotal battleground in the fight for control of Congress.
The Democratic case
Democrats argue the amendment is a necessary response to Republican gerrymandering in other states. Under maps proposed by the Democratic-controlled legislature, the party could win 10 of Virginia’s 11 congressional seats. All three statewide Democratic candidates carried 10 districts on the proposed map in the 2024 election cycle.
State Senator Louise Lucas, a driving force behind the amendment, has framed it as a fairness measure. Democrats point to states like Texas and Ohio, where Republican legislatures drew maps that locked in partisan advantages for a decade.
The Republican case
Republicans and good-government groups counter that the proposal replaces one gerrymander with another. Virginia’s bipartisan redistricting commission was approved by 66 per cent of voters in 2020. Critics say dismantling it after a single cycle undermines the principle of nonpartisan mapmaking.
The Virginia Supreme Court allowed the referendum to proceed in February after a lower court ruled it unlawful. Legal challenges may follow regardless of the outcome.
What happens next
Early voting data from the Virginia Public Access Project shows higher turnout in Democratic-leaning areas. The referendum requires a simple majority. If it passes, the legislature would draw new maps before the November midterms, subject to federal Voting Rights Act review.