Virginia redistricting vote begins amid lawsuits

The special election has been at the center of a political firefight and dozens of news stories over the past few months. Most recently, Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones issued a legal opinion telling Virginian counties and cities they did not have the power to stop the election locally, despite several attempts to do so.

Augusta County, Waynesboro and Staunton have each confirmed they are preparing to administer the election. What is Virginia voting on?

What’s on the ballot?

“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?”

That’s the question appearing on the ballots in the special election. Should voters approve the amendment, and Republican court challenges fail, then Virginia’s federal Congressional districts would change dramatically. The new map is expected to produce 10 Democratic federal representatives and one Republican, as opposed to Virginia’s current six Democrat and five Republican federal representatives. The maps were approved as part of the budget bill signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger earlier this year.

The proposed map would divide Augusta County into three congressional districts. Staunton, Waynesboro and the eastern end of the county would be in the Sixth Congressional District. The northwestern portion of the county would be in the Seventh Congressional District, and the southern quarter of the county would be in the Ninth Congressional District.

In the current district map, all of Augusta County, Staunton and Waynesboro fall into the Sixth Congressional District. The 2026 redistricting election does not affect state-side districts in the Virginia Legislature, no matter if it passes or fails. The new maps would only change the district maps for those seeking to represent Virginia in the United States House of Representatives.

Early voting begins this week

Early voting begins March 6 and will run through Saturday, April 18. The deadline to apply to receive an absentee ballot by mail is April 10 and the deadline to register to vote or update a registration is April 14.

• For Staunton residents, early voting will take place in Staunton City Hall from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and the two Saturday’s prior to Election Day, April 11 and April 18.
• For Augusta County residents, early voting will take place at the Augusta County Government Center.
• For Waynesboro residents, early voting will take place at 501 W. Broad St. on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with an hour off at 1 p.m. for lunch. The polls will also be open on the same two Saturdays as Staunton.

For information about the election can be found on the Augusta County registrar, Staunton registrar, Waynesboro registrar and the Virginia Department of Elections.

Attorney General Jay Jones issued a legal opinion on the election

The election is moving forward, even as multiple lawsuits challenging it work through the courts. Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones is defending the election in these cases. On March 4, Jones issued a legal opinion on the “roles and responsibilities” of local electoral boards, registrars and local governing bodies in administrating the election.

The opinion addressed resolutions recently passed by the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors and the Patrick County Board of Supervisors directing the county election departments not to begin early voting until April 16.

“Local governing bodies cannot use their own independent constitutional interpretations to justify interfering with state-mandated elections,” reads Jones’ opinion. The localities have “no authority to prevent election officials from performing their statutory duties” because state law supersedes local authority, Jones argues. As a result, any “local resolution directing officials to delay initiating in-person absentee voting” would “have no legal effect.”

The Virginia Supreme Court on Feb. 13 allowed the special election to move forward in not one but two cases aiming to block the election but isn’t expected to rule on the legal standing of the first case until after the election occurs.

The full opinion from Jones is available on the attorney general’s website, included in the press release coming from his office.

“Under Virginia law, electoral boards and general registrars must provide for in-person absentee voting beginning 45 days prior to Election Day and possess no discretion to delay or fail to initiate voting on this timeline outside a valid court order expressly enjoining such administration and issued by a court of competent jurisdiction,” said Jones in the press release. “This opinion makes clear that any local resolution attempting to disenfranchise its own people by preventing election officials from implementing in-person absentee voting contradicts state law and is legally invalid.”

Lyra Bordelon (she/her) is the public transparency and justice reporter at The News Leader. Do you have a story tip or feedback? It’s welcome through email to [email protected]. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Virginia redistricting vote begins amid lawsuits

Reporting by Lyra Bordelon, Staunton News Leader / Staunton News Leader

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