Virginia Supreme Court Voids Democrats’ Mid-Decade Map, Benefiting Republicans

The Virginia Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that the Democratic-led legislature violated procedural constitutional rules by approving and placing a mid-decade redistricting amendment on the ballot in an “unprecedented” manner, rendering the voter-approved map null and stripping Democrats of anticipated gains in the U.S. House; the decision centers on process rather than map design and comes amid a broader Republican edge in redistricting and ongoing national political battles over voting rights.