Virginia judge blocks state’s new redistricting map one day after vote

A Virginia circuit court judge on April 22 blocked the state’s newly approved congressional redistricting map, issuing an injunction that prevents state officials from “certifying the results” and from taking “any actions to give effect to the proposed constitutional amendment.”

In a decision issued one day after voters passed the new map, Judge Jack Hurley of the Tazewell County Circuit Court declared the amendment and the referendum “void ab initio” (“void from the start”) and deemed “any and all votes for or against” the proposed measure “ineffective.”

Hurley based his ruling on several procedural and constitutional grounds, saying lawmakers did not follow the required steps for passing an amendment and violated rules on legislative approval, public notice, and timing.

He also ruled the ballot’s language was a “flagrantly misleading question” for voters because “the ballot language did not accurately describe the proposed amendment as it was passed by the General Assembly.” 

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones, a Democrat, moved quickly to contest the decision.

“My office will immediately file an appeal in the Court of Appeals,” he said in a statement on X. “Virginia voters have spoken, and an activist judge should not have the power over the People’s vote. We look forward to defending the outcome of last night’s election in court.”

The case could advance to the Virginia Supreme Court, which would ultimately decide whether the voter-approved map can be implemented.

As Zeale News previously reported, the Democrat-backed redistricting measure passed April 21 by a narrow margin of 51.6% to 48.4% among over 3 million ballots. It could net the party as many as four more seats in the 2026 midterm elections by giving Democrats 10 out of the 11 seats in the U.S. House. There are currently six Democrats and five Republicans representing the state. 

The proposal would amend the state constitution to temporarily allow the Democrat-controlled General Assembly to redraw congressional districts mid-decade, a right previously held by a bipartisan commission. The state would then return to its standard redistricting process after the 2030 census.

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