VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia voters are heading to the polls on Tuesday to decide whether to approve redrawing the state's congressional districts.
Polls are open from 6 a.m. – 7 p.m. Polling places and ballot information can be found on the Virginia Department of Elections’ website.
The referendum election follows 45 days of early voting. As of this week, the Virginia Public Access Project says more than 1.3 million people had already cast their ballots early, with millions more expected to add their voices on Tuesday.
Currently, Democrats hold a 6-5 advantage in Virginia's congressional delegation, but the new map could give them a 10-1 advantage. The move by Virginia state Democrats to redraw the congressional maps follows similar efforts in Republican-led states like Texas and North Carolina.
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If the majority votes 'Yes,' the Democratic-leaning districts would remain in effect until 2030, when the next Census is taken. That would have the newly-redrawn districts in place in the 2026 midterm elections, but also for congressional elections in 2028 and 2030. A 'No' vote would see the current district lines stay in place until after the next Census.
"The Democratic states are answering in order to bring balance. It's not about control but it's about balance from their standpoint," said Dr. Eric Claville, a local political and legal analyst. "Of course, there's trepidation on the opposition side, the Republican side, because they're saying, 'if this is able to take place mid-decade, then what would happen if the House is controlled by the Democrats again?'"
Old Dominion University Associate Professor of Political Science, Jesse Richman, says there are no guarantees a mid-decade redistricting won't happen again in the future, though it would have to be passed by the voters in another referendum.
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"Either party, if in power and motivated to do so, could follow the same process; open the door for a redistricting. So, there's an element to which this creates permission. At the same time, (this referendum) does sunset," said Richman.
The question of whether or not mid-decade redistricting is allowed is still in front of the Virginia Supreme Court, but because the court allowed the April 21 referendum to proceed, both analysts say it's unlikely the court would strike down the will of the voters.
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