A Virginia circuit court ruled that a referendum vote enabling Democrats to gerrymander U.S. congressional districts can move ahead, despite leaving open the possibility that the referendum itself could be illegal.
The case involved the City of Lynchburg suing to “pause early voting” or have the court “answer questions about the legality” of the referendum vote, as reported by Cardinal News. If approved by voters, the measure would allow Democrats to redraw the congressional map to gerrymander Virginia’s congressional districts to eliminate four Republican seats, giving Democrats a 10-1 advantage.
As The Federalist reported, Republicans have apparently been relying on untrustworthy courts to stop the referendum, while essentially ignoring a get-out-the-vote effort. They now have two days before early voting starts on March 6, with “Election Day” set for April 21.
In a Monday ruling, Judge Patrick Yeatts of the Lynchburg Circuit Court refused to rule on the substance of a lawsuit aimed at stopping the referendum vote from taking place, leaving the issue in the hands of the Virginia Supreme Court.