Virginia Voters to Weigh Constitutional Amendment on Congressional Redistricting

By Luke Rosiak

*Published: April 21, 2026*

Voters in Virginia head to the polls on Tuesday to consider a single ballot question: a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the state legislature to redraw congressional district maps, potentially resulting in Democrats holding 10 of the state's 11 U.S. House seats. This comes despite Kamala Harris receiving less than 52% of the presidential vote in the state in 2024, according to election results cited in analyses of the proposal.

The amendment, if approved, would permit a one-time redistricting ahead of the 2026 elections, but it is temporary: the new maps would apply only until after the post-2030 census, at which point the process would revert to the state's bipartisan redistricting commission. A January 27, 2026, court ruling had deemed the amendment unlawful and blocked its placement on the ballot, but that decision was later overturned, with further litigation pending as of election day.

Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who campaigned as a moderate and stated she had no intention of pursuing redistricting, has overseen the legislative process leading to this ballot measure. The ballot language asks voters whether they support measures to “restore fairness” in district drawing.

State officials under Spanberger encouraged some county clerks not to display illustrative maps alongside the ballot question. Democratic messaging on the measure has focused on general themes, including opposition to former President Donald Trump, without detailing the specific district changes.

Supporters of the redistricting, including Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas, have described it as a response to Texas Republicans' mid-decade redistricting in 2021, which adjusted maps after the 2020 census. Democrats opposed the Texas changes, arguing they diluted minority voting power by dispersing Black voters across districts rather than concentrating them.

A Daily Wire analysis compared the proposals. In Texas, where Harris received 42% of the vote, the new maps resulted in Democrats holding an estimated 21% of seats, creating a 21 percentage-point gap between vote share and seat share. In Virginia, with Harris under 52%, the proposed maps would give Democrats 91% of seats, for a 39-point gap, according to the analysis.

Virginia's current congressional map, drawn by the bipartisan commission, allocates six seats to Democrats and five to Republicans—55% to Democrats—closely aligning with the state's partisan divide. The Daily Wire described this as among the most proportional delegations nationally, given the constraints of drawing 11 districts.

The analysis also examined gerrymandering across states, excluding those with single House seats. It found that seven of the 10 most-gerrymandered states favor Democrats, while 16 of the 20 least-gerrymandered states have Republican majorities. The five states with the largest disparities between popular vote and House seat shares all favor Democrats:

• In New Mexico, Harris won less than 52% of the vote, but Democrats hold all three seats (48-point gap).
• New Hampshire: Harris 51%, Democrats both seats (49-point gap).
• Maine: Harris 53%, Democrats both seats (47-point gap).
• Rhode Island: Harris 56%, Democrats both seats (44-point gap).
• Connecticut: Harris 56%, Democrats all five seats (44-point gap).

Readers can explore an interactive tool comparing states' vote shares to congressional delegations [here](link-to-tool).

The proposed Virginia map differs from current districts, which generally follow communities of interest, such as cities with large Black populations. The new version extends districts with narrow corridors into the heavily Democratic suburbs of Washington, D.C., which are predominantly non-Black. This configuration would place portions of Fairfax County, a D.C. suburb, into five congressional districts. Critics argue this could complicate representation of localized interests, like ports, agriculture, or manufacturing.

Prior to 2023, Virginia law prohibited partisan redistricting. Democrats rescinded that prohibition and applied the change retroactively. Constitutional amendments require approval in two legislative sessions, separated by an intervening election to allow voter input.

Republicans contend Democrats violated procedural rules, as the first legislative vote occurred after early voting had begun—a practice expanded during COVID-19 and continued afterward.

The outcome could influence national discussions on redistricting practices, particularly mid-decade changes by state legislatures of either party. Texas provides one recent Republican-led example, while Democrats have pursued similar adjustments in states like New York (later struck down by courts) and Illinois.

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