📍Washington, D.C. — May 11, 2026
Virginia Democrats have officially requested the Supreme Court of the United States to intervene urgently to block a ruling from the Supreme Court of Virginia that invalidated the results of a referendum regarding the redrawing of congressional districts.
In a petition filed with the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, the Democrats argued that the 4–3 decision by the Supreme Court of Virginia was a “grave error” and went against the will of the voters.
According to the Democrats' argument, the Virginia court misinterpreted state constitutional provisions regarding the procedure for amending the constitution via referendum.
The controversy centers on a rule requiring the Virginia legislature to pass a constitutional amendment resolution in two consecutive legislative sessions, with an election held between the two votes.
The Virginia court concluded that this process was invalid because the first vote took place in October, a time when early voting for the election had already begun.
Democrats opposed this interpretation, arguing that “Election Day” must be understood as the official Election Day rather than the early voting period.
If upheld, the ruling would cause Virginia to continue using the current district map, which has a balance of 6 Democratic seats and 5 Republican seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Meanwhile, Democrats expect the new redistricting plan could create a balance of up to 10 seats leaning Democratic and only 1 seat leaning Republican.
The lawsuit also contends that the Supreme Court of Virginia exceeded its judicial authority by interfering with the state legislature's right to regulate federal elections.
The Democrats argued:
“The harm from this decision is immediate and severe.”
The case comes amid heating legal battles over redistricting across the United States ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
