Richmond– In a decisive move to protect democracy and ensure fair representation, both chambers of the legislature have passed a constitutional amendment that allows the Commonwealth to respond to national efforts to undermine voting rights through partisan redistricting. The amendment, which cleared its third and final reading in the Senate this morning, preserves Virginia’s independent redistricting commission for the standard ten-year census cycle while granting the General Assembly limited authority to act in extraordinary circumstances, such as when other states redraw maps mid-decade to change the balance of power in Congress.

The measure now advances toward the second step of the constitutional process: approval in the next General Assembly session, followed by a statewide referendum that would allow Virginians to decide whether to enshrine the change in the state constitution. Lawmakers reconvened in a special session this week to take the first required vote before November’s elections, ensuring the process can move forward on schedule.

“For democracy to work for all of us, all of us must have our voices heard and our votes counted,” said Ashleigh Crocker, Interim Executive Director of Progress Virginia. “Donald Trump and his billionaire cronies are trying to rig the rules because they know they cannot win on the strength of their unpopular agenda alone. They are redrawing maps in Republican states to silence voters, weaken our representation, and stack Congress with loyalists who will rubber-stamp Trump’s dangerous agenda. Today’s vote is a crucial step toward protecting Virginians from those attacks. When Trump and his allies throw out the rulebook, we have to fight fire with fire to defend our freedom, our community, and our democracy.”

Background:

• A Brief Timeline of the Amendment:
  • The amendment, HJ6007, was introduced on Tuesday, October 28
  • Almost immediately upon release, Attorney General Jason Miyares offered an opinion that the amendment’s timing did not meet the stipulations of the Virginia constitution for how to pass an amendment.
  • The amendment passed out of the House on a vote of 51-42 on Wednesday, October 29. In the Senate, it reported out of the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee on a vote of 8-6.
  • The same day, members of the redistricting commission filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction on General Assembly action.
  • On October 30, the bill was heard for a second time in the Senate.
  • The same day, a judge denied the Republican request for an injunction.
  • On October 31, the amendment passed on third reading in the Senate on a vote of 21-16, completing the first of two required votes before the measure goes to the voters.
• Next Steps: After next week’s elections, the amendment must pass again in the 2026 regular legislative session before appearing on the ballot in a statewide referendum, potentially this spring.
• Safeguards: The measure preserves the authority of Virginia’s independent redistricting commission during regular cycles and allows mid-decade redistricting only if another state acts first.
• National Context: Republican-controlled states, including Texas, North Carolina, and Missouri, have already redrawn maps mid-decade to benefit Donald Trump and his allies ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.