By Zamone Perez
Virginians will soon decide whether to join what has become a nationwide redistricting fight, as voters cast ballots on a referendum to redraw congressional boundaries mid-decade.
The referendum asks voters whether they want to amend the Virginia Constitution to allow new congressional districts before the next census in 2030. Then, after the census, Virginia would revert to its standard bipartisan redistricting.
Keren Charles Dongo, campaign manager for Virginians for Fair Elections, said the effort is meant to counteract a slew of Republican states which have redrawn their district maps to favor the GOP, including Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas.
“This ‘yes’ vote is about leveling the playing field,” Dongo emphasized. “It’s about playing fair. And you can’t have other states doing mid-decade redistricting and for Virginians not to respond, because Virginians can’t bring a stick to a knife fight.”
Opponents of the referendum argued the ballot question’s reference to “restoring fairness” is misleading and redistricting would only help Democrats rig elections in the Commonwealth.
Early voting so far has outpaced the 2025 gubernatorial elections, which saw Democrats rout Republicans up and down the ballot. So far, almost 650,000 Commonwealth voters have cast their ballots. Dongo sees the referendum as a chance for Virginians to have more representation on pressing matters.
“’Yes’ is about making sure that Virginians can meaningfully elect people who will represent them in issues like their energy prices, in issues about whether the U.S. goes to war or doesn’t go to war, in issues about their health care,” Dongo outlined.
A Washington Post poll found likely voters are narrowly split on the referendum, with 52% saying they are in favor of redistricting.
