Transcript
Hello. My name is Melanie Williams. I am the president of the Virginia Association of the Deaf (VAD).
I am here to talk about the proposed amendment to the Virginia constitution that will be voted on at the April 21, 2026, special election. I will do my best to explain what it is about.
This is the ballot question that we will vote on:
Explanation for PROPOSED Constitutional Amendment to Be Voted On at the April 21, 2026, Special Election
BALLOT QUESTION
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?
EXPLANATION FOR VOTERS
Present Law
Virginia has 11 eleven congressional districts. These districts are drawn every 10 years by the Virginia Redistricting Commission, which has 8 legislators and 8 citizens, with an equal number of Republicans and Democrats. The last redistricting was in 2021. The next one is scheduled for 2031.
Proposed Law
The proposed amendment lets the General Assembly redraw Virginia’s congressional districts before 2031 if another state does so without a court order. This authority lasts until October 31, 2030; the Virginia Redistricting Commission resumes responsibility in 2031.
The General Assembly approved the district map, which will take effect if voters pass the constitutional amendment.
A “yes” vote lets the General Assembly redraw Virginia’s congressional districts, launch the new map for the 2026 elections, and give district-drawing authority back to the Virginia Redistricting Commission in 2031.
A “no” vote keeps the Virginia Redistricting Commission in charge of drawing congressional districts every decade and leaves current districts unchanged.
Who it covers: U.S. Representatives (Congress), state Senators, and members of the House of Delegates.
District Shape: Every district must be contiguous (all one piece, no islands) and compact (solid, non-jagged shapes).
Fair Numbers: Districts must have nearly equal populations, so every person’s vote has roughly the same power.
Legal Protections: Maps must follow civil rights laws (like the Equal Protection Clause and the Voting Rights Act) to ensure they are fair to all racial and ethnic groups.
Community Voice: Where possible, lines should be drawn so that minority communities can successfully elect the candidates they prefer.
The Commonwealth will be reapportioned into electoral districts every ten years starting in 2021, as outlined in this section and Section 6-A. The General Assembly may modify congressional districts between censuses if another state changes its districts for reasons other than federal census-based redistricting or a court-ordered remedy for an unlawful map.
In plain terms, this section of the Virginia constitution establishes the following:
Redistricting Cycle: Virginia will redraw its voting district lines every 10 years, a process that began in 2021.
Congressional Updates: Between the 10-year updates, the Virginia General Assembly can change congressional districts only if another U.S. state changes theirs.
Exceptions for Changes: The General Assembly cannot make these mid-cycle changes if the other state’s redistricting was simply part of the normal 10-year census process or required by a court to fix an illegal map.
Any decennial reapportionment or law changing congressional districts takes effect immediately and is not limited by Article IV, Section 13 of this Constitution.
The text outlines how new voting districts are put into effect and what happens to officials currently in office during that transition. Here is a simplified breakdown:
When New Maps Start
Implementation: New district lines created after the census (decennial redistricting) start being used for the first general election held right before current terms end.
Scope: This rule applies to elections for the U.S. House of Representatives, the State Senate, and the State House of Delegates.
That is it for my talk on the proposed amendment. It is not my intention to encourage you to vote “yes” or “no” on the amendment. I hope that I have helped you to understand what the amendment is about. Thank you for watching.