Early voting begins for Virginia redistricting referendum

Early voting begins Friday in Virginia on a referendum to redraw the commonwealth's congressional map, amid lawsuits seeking to stop the mid-decade congressional map redrawing.

If passed, the referendum will allow Virginia state Democrats to amend the commonwealth's constitution to redistrict and increase the current 6–5 congressional split favoring Democrats to 10-1. The Virginia election is set for April 21.

On Wednesday, the Virginia Supreme Court lifted a stay placed on the referendum by the Tazewell County Circuit Court, ruling that the election may move forward. In February, the commonwealth's high court allowed the measure to proceed to the ballot, after it rejected an emergency challenge filed by Republican lawmakers and the Republican National Committee.

The court scheduled arguments on the legality of the constitutional amendment after the April 21 election, the Virginia Mercury reported.

In Richmond,Republican Reps. Rob Wittman and John McGuire have challenged the legality of the ballot language, arguing that it's misleading, Axios reported. In Washington County, a voter filed a complaint saying the amendment violates the Virginia Constitution.

A Lynchburg Circuit Court judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit filed by the city seeking to halt early voting for the referendum, ruling that it was not appropriate for the court to intervene while the constitutional amendment process is ongoing and leaving questions about the measure’s legality to the Virginia Supreme Court.

The mid-decade redistricting comes as President Donald Trump urged Republican-led states to redraw congressional maps to favor the party in the midterms. Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina adjusted their congressional districts to gain several Republican seats. Florida state lawmakers are also considering redistricting that could further expand the Republican advantage.