FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jefferson Forum Calls on Supreme Court of Virginia to Act Swiftly on Constitutional Violations
Today’s passage of Virginia’s redistricting referendum raises serious concerns about the role of voter confusion, misleading ballot language, and unprecedented outside spending in shaping the outcome of a consequential constitutional change.
Ironically, the approximately 51% to 49% outcome on this referendum reaffirms that Virginia’s current 6 to 5 Congressional map better represents Virginia’s electorate than does the soon to be approved 10 to 1 map.
In response, the Jefferson Forum is calling on the Supreme Court of Virginia to take immediate action on the two pending constitutional challenges arising out of Tazewell County. These cases present clear and serious legal defects: violations of Virginia’s single-subject rule for constitutional amendments, materially misleading ballot language that failed to inform voters of the true scope and duration of the changes, and a rushed legislative process that deprived Virginians of meaningful notice and deliberation. Given the sweeping and immediate impact of this referendum, the Court should act with urgency to review, and, if the Constitution requires, invalidate this flawed process and its unconstitutional outcome.
“This result reflects a campaign driven more by confusion than clarity,” said Peter Lipsett, Executive Chair of the Jefferson Forum. “Voters were presented with a ballot question that obscured the permanence and consequences of the proposal, while well-funded national interests flooded the airwaves with messaging designed to press a false ‘fairness’ narrative, not to inform.”
Jefferson Forum is concerned about the massive expenditures from out-of-state groups, as well as messaging that characterized the measure as temporary and bipartisan, despite the fact that this referendum would reshape Virginia’s political landscape for years to come.
“Virginians deserved a fair, civil, and transparent debate on an issue this important,” said Derrick Max, Vice President of the Jefferson Forum. “Instead, voters were met with vague language, a compressed timeline, and a flood of outside spending that tilted the playing field before voters could fully understand what was at stake. This is not the Virginia way.
The newly approved map is expected to significantly reshape political representation across the Commonwealth, with particular impact on rural communities and a consolidation of influence in Northern Virginia.
About Jefferson Forum
Jefferson Forum is a Virginia-based public policy organization dedicated to advancing the principles of limited government, free markets, individual liberty, and personal responsibility. Formed through the merger of the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy and the Yorktown Foundation for Public Policy, the organization conducts research, publishes policy analysis, and engages in public education on issues affecting the Commonwealth.
Media Contact:
LJ Brouillette
Associate Director of Development & Communication
Phone: 717-514-3106 Email: LJ@JeffersonForum.Org
