The Virginia Supreme Court has struck down the state’s redistricting referendum, dealing a blow to Democrats who had backed the measure as a way to gain additional U.S. House seats.
The proposal passed by about three points in late April and was seen at the time as a key Democratic win that could have led to as many as four added seats through new congressional maps ahead of the midterms.
In the opinion, the court said the legislative process used to place the amendment on the ballot violated Article XII, Section 1 of the Virginia Constitution, rendering the referendum legally invalid.
