Supreme Court rejects bid to restore Virginia's redistricting map favoring Democrats

Virginia redistricting struck down by state Supreme Couty

After Virginians voted to approve a proposal to redraw the state's congressional districts, the Virginia Supreme Court nullified the vote, arguing that officials violated procedure by putting the item on the ballot.

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Friday rejected Virginia's bid to restore a congressional map that would have favored Democrats. 

The new map would have given Democrats four more seats. 

Dig deeper:

In recent days, the justices have sided with Republicans in Alabama and Louisiana who hope to redo their congressional maps to produce more GOP-leaning seats following the court’s voting rights decision.

But the Virginia situation was different, stemming from a 4-3 ruling by the Virginia Supreme Court that struck down a constitutional amendment that voters narrowly passed just last month.

The state court found that the Democratic-controlled legislature improperly began the process of placing the amendment on the ballot after early voting had begun in Virginia’s general election last fall.

FILE - he U.S. Supreme Court building on May 4, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The backstory:

Virginia’s amendment had been intended as a response to Republican gains in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio, and to blunt a new map in Florida that just became law.