RICHMOND, Va — Virginians are heading to the polls Tuesday for a special election to decide whether the state should temporarily redraw its 11 congressional districts ahead of November's midterm elections.
The constitutional amendment asks voters to suspend a voter-approved bipartisan redistricting commission. The current map gives Democrats a 6-5 advantage, while the proposed new map would favor Democrats 10-1. If passed, the commission would resume its work after the next census.
According to the Virginia Public Access Project, more than 1.4 million Virginians voted early. VPAP reported supporters and opponents raised more than $80 million through April 10, which is eight times more than the $10 million spent on the 2023 referendum aimed at establishing a casino in Richmond.
Democrats say the change is a response to Republican-led states doing the same thing. The referendum tests Democrats' ability to push back against President Donald Trump, who started the gerrymandering competition between states after successfully urging Texas Republicans to redraw congressional districts in their favor last year. Virginia would be the second state, after California last fall, to put the question to voters.
Republicans say the measure ignores the voter-approved commission and is a return to gerrymandering.
CBS 6 Political Analyst Dr. Bob Holsworth said messaging has been confusing for some voters, as quotes about gerrymandering from former President Barack Obama and Gov. Abigail Spanberger appeared in both Republican and Democratic ads.
"It’s not surprising that the public would say this is pretty confusing," Holsworth said. "In fact, the referendum language put in by the Democrats suggests that this is an issue of fairness. The Republicans are saying, ‘Oh yes, this is an issue of fairness, but the fairness on the side of 'No.'"
At Quioccasin Middle School in Henrico County, voters shared their reasoning for supporting or opposing the measure.
Charmene Ricks cast her ballot in support of the new map and intentionally brought her daughter, Karter, into the voting booth.
“We have to vote yes. It’s about time we get everybody, not just the older people. It’s time for us millennials to come out and vote as well,” Ricks said. "It’s important for her to know we have had enough of the old regime. It’s time for her to come support."
"I do understand that in places like Texas, again, that it is being done in a manner which is more favorable to the right? And not that I necessarily agree with the practice of it, but it is understandable that we would like to, I suppose, even the playing field," Nemesia Fickle said.
"While I am very against gerrymandering, I think in this sense, if they're playing dirty or not fair, then we need to put it so that it's on the same equal playing field," Tiffany said.
Corey Crouch voted against the referendum.
"I voted no. I don’t look at what other states and what everybody else is doing," Crouch said. “I don’t think we should change maps around or anything. We need to unite as United States. I think everyone counter-moving everybody is not the way to go.”
"I don't like the idea of the gerrymandering and from what I've read and what I've heard, that's really what it is. Democrats just want to do the gerrymandering and I'm not interested in that," Peter Shinholser said.
"I don't believe that we need to redistrict. It's been a fair battle, Democratic and Republican every year. It seems like we switch. So, I don't think we need to change anything," Scott Moore said.
Brett Sinsabaugh and his wife showed up to vote about 30 minutes after the polls opened.
"I will be 42 this year. I haven’t missed a vote in a primary or the election since I was able to vote. I feel like it’s my duty to get out there and vote," Sinsabaugh said.
Even if the amendment is approved by voters, several lawsuits from Republicans have challenged the legality of how the process played out. Those lawsuits are before the Supreme Court of Virginia, which is expected to rule after the referendum has concluded.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
