The 2020 Virginia Question 1, also known as the Virginia Redistricting Commission Amendment was a proposed amendment to the

Virginia Constitution The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia is the document that defines and limits the powers of the state government and the basic rights of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Like all other state constitutions, it is supreme ...

to establish a political commission in order to draw the districts of the

U.S House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

seats in Virginia, as well as the districts of the Virginia House of Delegates and State Senate. The amendment was on the November 3 ballot. According to a Christopher Newport University poll over 70% of Virginians support

redistricting Redistribution (re-districting in the United States and in the Philippines) is the process by which electoral districts are added, removed, or otherwise changed. Redistribution is a form of boundary delimitation that changes electoral dist ...

reform. The amendment shifted the power of redistricting from the Virginia General Assembly to a political commission composed of four members from the Virginia Senate, with two from each party; four members from the Virginia House of Delegates, with two from each party; and eight other citizens of Virginia. The amendment passed with 65.69% of the vote, winning a majority of support in every county and independent city with the exception of Arlington County, Virginia.

Support

The initiative was supported by Republicans and had the support of the Virginia AARP and ACLU.

Opposition

The initiative was opposed by the state Democratic Party and some elected Democrats on the grounds that it would give inordinate power to the judges tasked with selecting citizens for the commission and that the system would not guarantee the representation of minorities on the commission. In August 2020, Former Virginia Democratic Chairman and candidate for Lieutenant Governor in

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Paul Goldman wrote a letter to the Virginia Department of Elections, arguing the wording of the question was misleading. The Virginia Supreme Court rejected this challenge saying that the Department of Elections must put the question on the ballot with the wording agreed to by the legislature.

Polling

;Question 1

Results

The amendment passed with 65.59% of the vote. Only Arlington County voted against the amendment.

Notes

References

{{reflist Redistricting commissions Gerrymandering in the United States Question 1 Virginia Question 1 Virginia ballot measures