Va. Redistricting Vote: High stakes for House control in 2026 midterms
OAN Staff Addie Davis and Brooke Mallory
3:33 PM – Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Virginians will vote on a proposed constitutional amendment on Tuesday that, if passed, would pave the way for Democrat legislators to redraw districting map’s in their party’s favor.
If the amendment passes, it would trigger a one-time “mid-decade” redistricting. The current maps, drawn by a bipartisan commission in 2021, have resulted in a 6-5 split in favor of Democrats. The proposed new maps could drastically shift that balance.
The proposed amendment seeks to bypass the bipartisan Virginia Redistricting Commission, made up of an equal number of legislators and citizens, as well as evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.
Though congressional maps are not due to be redrawn in the state until 2031, the piece of legislation would allow legislators to redraw district lines in their state before then if another state, without being ordered by a court, also redistricts.
“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?” the ballot measure reads.
The vote takes place amid a nationwide redistricting battle that is set to shape the upcoming midterm elections. Across the country, several states have faced ongoing criticism over maps that allegedly favor one party over the other.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) voiced his support for the Virginia measure during a press conference on Monday, urging voters to approve the amendment to ensure what he described as a “level” playing field.
“We’re urging everyone to vote yest to stop the MAGA power grab. And the voters of Virginia have an opportunity to ensure that there’s a fair, national congressional map,” Jeffries stated.
If the measure passes, Democrats in the Virginia legislature would be able to redraw districts in a way that would significantly favor their party, with the proposed map turning 10 out of 11 of the districts blue.
“This referendum is a blatant partisan power grab that nobody’s really ever seen anything like it,” President Donald Trump said during a Monday night tele-rally call, per The Hill.
“And if it passes, Virginia Democrats will eliminate four out of five congressional seats, so you’re going to get just wiped out in terms of representation in Washington. That’s what it’s all about,” he continued.
“Please get out and vote and vote no,” It’s very simple.”
In a Tuesday morning Truth Social post, Trump again urged Virginia voters to go to the polls.
“VIRGINIA, VOTE “NO” TO SAVE YOUR COUNTRY!”
The ballot measure has faced several legal challenges, but the Supreme Court of Virginia has allowed Tuesday’s special election to proceed, reserving its final rulings on the underlying cases for after the votes are tallied.
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Tonight’s Timeline – Tuesday, April 21st (EDT)
- 7:00 p.m.: Polls close. Anyone still in line at this time is legally allowed to vote.
- 7:10 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.: Initial results typically start appearing. In the 2025 gubernatorial election, the first meaningful data was reported within 10 minutes of polls closing.
- 8:00 p.m. – Midnight: Most “day-of” precinct votes will be tabulated.
Virginia counties vary on when they release early voting data. Some report it in the first batch of the night, while about half may wait until later in the evening to combine it with precinct totals.
What to Expect
Roughly 1.4 million Virginians voted early or by mail. Since this represents a huge portion of the expected total, the “early” batch of results could give a very strong indication of the outcome early in the night.
In previous major Virginia elections, more than 99% of the vote was counted by 2:00 a.m.
However, if the margin is extremely thin, we may not have a final answer by Tuesday night. Same-day registration (provisional) ballots are not counted immediately by machines. They must be reviewed and approved by local boards over the coming days.
Recount Rules
If the result is exceptionally close, the count might not be “final” for a while.
- 1% margin: A group of 50+ voters can request and pay for a recount.
- 0.5% margin: The Commonwealth pays for the recount.
You can monitor the live updates as they come in on the Virginia Department of Elections website or via the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP).
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