Virginia redistricting vote to start Friday as planned
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While early voting starts this week, election day is April 21. Photo: Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Early voting on Virginia's redistricting referendum is still on track to begin Friday, local election officials tell Axios.
Why it matters: There have been so many lawsuits trying to stop it that voters have been left wondering whether the election is really happening.
Catch up quick: Virginians will be voting on whether to let Democrats amend the constitution and do a mid-decade redraw of the state's congressional districts.
- Democrats want to redraw congressional districts to counter Republican-led states that have done the same to boost GOP representation in a closely divided U.S. House of Representatives.
- If voters say yes, Democrats' proposed "10-1" map — which would turn Virginia's current 6-5 congressional split into 10 Democratic-leaning districts and one Republican-leaning seat — will go into effect.
Between the lines: It'd also reshape metro Richmond's representation in Congress, since it'd split up the region's Democratic hot spots to weaken GOP districts in other parts of the state.
The legal pileup: National and local Republicans have filed multiple suits in court, including cases out of Tazewell and Washington counties and Richmond.
- Republican Reps. Rob Wittman and John McGuire have challenged the legality of the ballot language, arguing that it's misleading.
- A Washington County voter's complaint says the amendment violates the state constitution.
- And the City of Lynchburg filed a suit last week seeking clarification on whether it can move forward with the election after another state court temporarily blocked the election from proceeding.
Yes, but: A judge dismissed Lynchburg's complaint Monday, and the Virginia Supreme Court decided last month that the state could hold the election — while it weighs the case trying to block Democrats' attempts to redraw the maps.
Zoom in: Here's what Richmond-area officials and general registrars told Axios they're doing for the special election on Friday:
Richmond: The city's elections office on Laburnum Avenue will open as planned, 8:30am-5pm, and says it'll post any updates on its site here.
Chesterfield: A county spokesperson says voting will start Friday "in accordance with the law or unless otherwise notified." More info here.
Henrico: Voting is open from 8am-4:30pm at two locations (Henrico Western Office, 4305 E. Parham Road, and Eastern Government Complex, 3820 Nine Mile Road).
- "Ballots have been ordered, machines have been tested for complete accuracy, and our workers have been trained to handle all voters coming to the office this week," General Registrar Mark J. Coakley tells Axios.
- "This type of accountability takes weeks of preparation."
- More info here.
Hanover: Officials are proceeding with early voting from 8:30am-4:30pm on weekdays, citing legal requirements to administer the election unless a court order says otherwise.
- General Registrar Teri Smithson tells Axios that the last message received from the Department of Elections said the request to pause sent on Feb. 20 has been withdrawn.
- More info here.