Virginia Judge Blocks Certification of Congressional Map Referendum, Citing Unconstitutionality

Claim A Virginia judge blocked certification of the congressional map referendum results, ruling the referendum and its enabling bill unconstitutional.

Evidence On Tuesday, Virginia voters approved a referendum to adopt new congressional district lines. The referendum asked whether the state should use a newly drawn map for future U.S. House elections. The enabling bill, passed by the General Assembly, authorized the vote and set the rules for the referendum.

The next day, a judge in the Tazewell Circuit Court issued an order preventing the state from certifying those results. He stated that both the referendum and the law that authorized it violate the state constitution. The judge’s order said the referendum is void and barred the state from certifying the outcome or redrawing the maps.

Virginia’s attorney general, Jay Jones, confirmed to 7News that his office will appeal the decision. He said his team will defend the outcome of last night’s election in court. The Virginia Supreme Court had previously overturned two similar circuit court orders that sought to block the referendum, showing a split between the courts.

The Republican National Committee, a plaintiff in the lawsuit, praised the ruling and called the redistricting effort a “blatant power grab.” The group said Democrats had misled voters with misleading ballot language and spent tens of millions of dollars on the campaign.

The referendum passed by a narrow three‑point margin, according to unofficial results.

Verdict True.

Analysis Multiple news outlets reported the judge’s order and the attorney general’s confirmation, matching the claim verbatim. The judge’s reasoning centered on constitutional concerns raised by opponents who argued the referendum process was improper. While the Virginia Supreme Court has previously allowed the referendum to proceed, the circuit court’s decision creates a legal conflict that will likely be resolved by the state’s highest court.

The attorney general’s pledge to appeal indicates the issue will remain active in the courts. Political observers note that the disputed map could shift the state’s congressional delegation from its current six Democrats and five Republicans to a potential ten Democrats and one Republican, though that outcome depends on the final legal resolution.

The judge cited the state constitution’s requirement that redistricting changes be made through the regular legislative process, not via a referendum. Several other lawsuits challenging the referendum remain pending in federal and state courts.

What to watch next: whether the Virginia Supreme Court will uphold or overturn the circuit court’s ruling and how the appeal affects the timeline for implementing the new congressional map.