Proposed Amendment for April 2026 Special Election

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Home > Election Law > Proposed Amendment for April 2026 Special Election

Proposed Amendment for April 2026 Special Election
Explanation for Proposed Constitutional Amendment to Be Voted On at the April 21, 2026, Special Election

PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

BALLOT QUESTION
Question: Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, while ensuring Virginia's standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census?

EXPLANATION FOR VOTERS
April 21, 2026 Proposed Constitutional Amendment Explanation

2026 Constitutional Amendment Brochure

2026 Constitutional Amendment Poster

Present Law
Virginia's eleven congressional districts are drawn once every ten years by the Virginia Redistricting Commission, a legislative body made up of eight legislators and eight citizens, with an equal number of Republicans and Democrats. Virginia's congressional districts were last redrawn in 2021 and will next be redrawn in 2031.

Proposed Law
The proposed amendment would give the General Assembly the authority to redraw one or more of Virginia's congressional districts before 2031 in limited circumstances. In the event that another state redraws its own congressional districts before 2031, without being ordered by a court to do so, the General Assembly would then be able to redraw Virginia's congressional districts. The General Assembly's power to do so would continue until October 31, 2030, and the Virginia Redistricting Commission would reassume the responsibility of drawing the congressional districts in 2031.
The proposed district map has been approved by the General Assembly and would take effect only if the constitutional amendment is approved by the voters.
A "yes" vote would allow the General Assembly to redraw Virginia's congressional districts, since other states have done so, in addition to giving effect to the proposed district map in time for the 2026 Congressional elections, and return the responsibility of drawing the congressional districts in 2031 to the Virginia Redistricting Commission.
A "no" vote would leave the authority to draw congressional districts with the Virginia Redistricting Commission once a decade and Virginia's current districts would remain in place.

FULL TEXT OF AMENDMENT

{snip}

[GreenWave]

1. voting has started, already the GOP attack dogs are obfuscating reality.

https://www.cvilletomorrow.org/newsletter/early-voting-on-an-important-constitutional-amendment-begins-today/

While technically designated as a “special election,” there are no candidates on the ballot. Instead, between today, Friday, March 6, and Tuesday, April 21, voters are being asked to decide whether to amend the Virginia Constitution to allow state lawmakers to redraw the congressional district map. Congressional district maps are usually redrawn once every 10 years after each U.S. census. The amendment would allow Virginia to redraw its map earlier — this year.

It’s a highly controversial amendment. The proposed redistricting would make it more likely that Virginia elects more Democrats to represent the state in the U.S. House of Representatives during this year’s election. Virginia Democrats say the change would allow the state to respond to aggressive redistricting in other states that favor Republicans and ensure fair representation. Republicans argue the amendment would open the door to partisan gerrymandering and undermine Virginia’s current redistricting process.

Unsurprisingly, there have been multiple lawsuits to stop this amendment from going through, but the state Supreme Court last month ruled it could go ahead to the ballot.
From the Associated Press: Virginia court allows a referendum on Democratic-led redistricting that could flip 4 US House seats

Note: It needs to be mentioned that this election is the will of the people, unlike Texas et alia where the GOP crammed their partisan gerrymandering down the throats of the voters,