Virginia voters pass constitutional amendment to create bipartisan redistricting commission News
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Virginia voters pass constitutional amendment to create bipartisan redistricting commission

Virginia voters approved a state constitutional amendment on Tuesday that establishes a bipartisan redistricting commission responsible for drawing congressional and state legislative districts.

The redistricting commission will include eight members of the General Assembly and eight citizens of the Commonwealth. The eight legislative commissioners will be appointed by leadership in the state Senate and the House of Delegates, with an equal number from each house and from each major political party. The eight citizen commissioners will be picked by a committee of five retired circuit court judges.

The amendment is shifting responsibility to draw election districts from the General Assembly and the governor to a bipartisan commission. This commission will draw the election districts for the US House of Representatives, the state Senate and the House of Delegates. The commission will submit the maps to the General Assembly for approval.

If for some reason the commission cannot agree on a proposed map or the General Assembly rejects a proposed map after the commission is given extra time, the Supreme Court of Virginia will then become responsible for drawing the election districts.

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