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Gerrymandering

Virginia Supreme Court Voids Virginia Gerrymander

The extreme partisan gerrymander of Virginia's congressional districts will not go into effect after all.

Jonathan H. Adler | 5.8.2026 11:20 AM

This morning, by a vote of 4-3, the Virginia Supreme Court declared the ballot initiative supporting a partisan gerrymander of Virginia's congressional districts to violate the Virginia Constitution.

The majority opinion by Justice Kelsey begins:

On March 6, 2026, the General Assembly of Virginia submitted to Virginia voters a proposed constitutional amendment that authorizes partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts in the Commonwealth. We hold that the legislative process employed to advance this proposal violated Article XII, Section 1 of the Constitution of Virginia. This constitutional violation incurably taints the resulting referendum vote and nullifies its legal efficacy.

The opinion........

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