Virginia Supreme Court Strikes Down Gerrymandered Redistricting Effort

Virginia Will Retain 5 Republican Districts

In an opinion delivered by Justice D. Arthur Kelsey [appointed by then-Gov. Mark Warner (D)] the Circuit Court says the process Democrats used to draw new congressional boundaries was unconstitutional. That process “incurably taints the resulting referendum vote and nullifies its legal efficacy.”

 

 

The court said that maps put in place in 2021 must be used in the November elections instead. Three justices dissented from the court’s ruling.
VIRGINIA – The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday overturned the state’s redistricting ballot measure that would have given Democrats an edge in four House districts, dealing the party a massive blow ahead of the midterms.
The ruling now gives Republicans a clear lead in the gerrymandering efforts over the last year, which were further inflamed by the Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Act decision last week.