Virginia Senate approves referendum to allow limited mid-decade congressional redistricting; amendment to go before voters

The Virginia Senate on Oct. 31 voted 21-16 to approve House Joint Resolution 6007, a proposed constitutional amendment that would authorize the General Assembly to modify one or more congressional districts between decennial reapportionments in narrowly specified circumstances.

Supporters, led on the floor by Senator Rouse, the junior senator from Virginia Beach and chair of Privileges and Elections, described the resolution as a narrowly drawn option that would be presented to voters by referendum. "I move that the house joint resolution HJ 6007 be agreed to," Rouse said on the Senate floor when making the motion to adopt the resolution. Proponents argued the measure is a limited response to what they described as an unprecedented wave of mid‑decade map changes in other states that could materially affect Virginia’s representation in Congress.

Opponents said the resolution undermines the redistricting reforms voters approved in 2020 and violates the purpose of the intervening–election safeguard. Senator Obenshein of Rockingham pointed to the margin by which Virginians approved the 2020 constitutional change, noting "66% of Virginia's voters voted for this constitutional amendment," and argued that the Senate should not reverse that reform midstream. Several senators pressed procedural and constitutional concerns, noting that early voting in the current election began…