Virginia Supreme Court throws out redistricting referendum results

The Virginia Supreme Court overturned the results of the state's redistricting referendum, which voters narrowly approved last month.

Why it matters: The ruling upends one of the most closely watched redistricting fights in the country.

• It follows months of legal challenges over whether the referendum was unconstitutional.

The big picture: The decision effectively blocks Democrats from redrawing congressional maps mid-decade.

• That's after the state spent $5.2 million to pay for the special election, and outside groups raised nearly $100 million to sway voters.
• The new map would have been in effect for the November midterms and was expected to shift the state's congressional split from 6-5 favoring Democrats to 10-1.

Between the lines: It was a move Democrats said would've countered Republican-led states that redrew districts to add GOP seats in a closely divided U.S. House.

• Republicans, who have repeatedly sued to block the redistricting vote, have called it extreme, illegal and hyperpartisan.

Zoom in: A central part of the case during oral arguments concerned what qualifies as the "next general election" under Virginia's constitution.

• Virginia law requires amendments to move through two General Assembly sessions: one before the House has an election (last November) and one after.
• Republicans have argued that lawmakers had improperly advanced the amendment after early voting had already begun.
• Meanwhile, Democrats have said that an "election" is a single day in November — a position some justices appeared skeptical of.

Between the lines: The state Supreme Court overturning voters' decision is rare, but it happened at least once in 1958, per Cardinal News.

• The high court ruled that Arlington residents had voted on an unconstitutional law in 1956 and struck down the election results.

The intrigue: If Democrats appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, it wouldn't be the first time Virginia election disputes have landed there.

• In 2024, former Attorney General Jason Miyares won a last-minute U.S. Supreme Court ruling, allowing Virginia to resume its voter purge program days before Election Day.

What we're watching: Whether Democrats escalate the fight.

Editor's note: This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Go deeper: Virginia redistricting vote sets spending record