Virginia court blocks voter-approved redistricting, appeal coming

[LetMyPeopleVote]

There will be an appeal

WTF? THE PEOPLE IF VA VOTED 🤬🤬🤬
Virginia court blocks voter-approved redistricting, appeal coming - Democracy Docket share.google/bTbShobuTknZ...

— (Debbie)🐕🐈🐘🐼☕️🎶⚖️🌊 (@felicianmitzi.bsky.social) 2026-04-22T21:22:43.850Z

https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/virginia-court-blocks-voter-approved-redistricting-appeal-coming/

A Virginia judge temporarily halted the state’s newly approved congressional map — but state officials are already moving to try to overturn the ruling, setting up a rapid legal fight in the state’s Supreme Court.

In a decision issued Wednesday on a Republican lawsuit, a judge in Tazewell County ruled that the legislature’s constitutional amendment and the referendum voters just approved were invalid — a move that immediately blocks the state from implementing the new districts.

The court declared the amendment invalid from the start, and ordered that “any and all votes for or against the proposed constitutional amendment in the April 21, 2026 special election are ineffective.”

The judge also went further, issuing a permanent injunction — a legal order that blocks action going forward — preventing state officials from “certifying the results” and from taking “any actions to give effect to the proposed constitutional amendment.”

But despite the sweeping language, this ruling is far from the final word.

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones (D) moved immediately to challenge the decision, signaling a fast-track appeal that could quickly shift the case to higher courts.

[Dave in VA]

1. If I remember correctly

this same court has blocked this amendment twice before. So the Magats run right back to the same court to try again. Hopefully when the state supreme court overrules them again. That will be the end of it, but I'm sure Sam and Clarence are ready and waiting for the appeal to come before the Federal courts.

[GreenWave]

3. That judge should be disbarred for being a magat rubber stamp.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. Wednesday's ruling was not Hurley's first attempt to stop the amendment.

Link to tweet

Wednesday's ruling was not Hurley's first attempt to stop the amendment. He issued similar rulings blocking the measure in January and again in February — and both times, the Virginia Supreme Court stepped in to allow the process to move forward while it considered the underlying legal questions.

See full statement from AG Jones below:

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. Virginia court declines to block Democrats from using new voter-approved congressional map

There is a hearing tomorrow before the Virginia state supreme court on the order issued by the RWNJ judge who has been overruled more than once

Virginia court declines to block Democrats from using new voter-approved congressional map. Significantly, the court also declined to overrule the will of Virginia voters. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

— Nita Cosby (@5-2blue.bsky.social) 2026-04-26T23:05:37.980Z

https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/virginia-court-declines-to-block-democrats-from-using-new-voter-approved-congressional-map/

A Virginia circuit court has refused to block the implementation of Democrats’ new congressional map, which voters approved in a statewide special election last week.

The order comes in one of several Republican lawsuits aiming to overturn redistricting in the state.

In February, the Virginia legislature passed a new congressional map, contingent on voter approval, in an effort to counteract President Donald Trump’s push to use unprecedented mid-decade gerrymanders in GOP-led states to give Republicans an advantage in the 2026 midterm election. The new map could give Democrats up to four more seats in Congress......

And on Monday, the Virginia Supreme Court will hear arguments in another case that will help determine whether Democrats can go forward with redistricting. Democracy Docket will be providing live coverage of the arguments.