Former US President Barack Obama on Friday (local time) urged voters in Virginia to vote as early elections are underway in the state.
Obama appealed on his social network for a large turnout in Virginia. He wrote: “Virginia, if you haven’t already, plan to vote YES on the redistricting referendum. You can vote early by April 18th or on Election Day April 21st. Find your polling place at http://IWillVote.com/VA.”
Addressing Virginians, he said, “Hello, Virginia. Early elections are underway and Virginians are turning out in record numbers to vote yes. By voting yes, you have a chance to do something important – not just for the Commonwealth, but for our entire country.” He went on to say that if they vote yes, Virginians can push back against Republicans who are trying to gain an unfair advantage in the midterms.
Why does Virginia vote?
According to USA Today , Virginia will see a special election on April 21, with a single question appearing on ballots across the state. Virginians will decide whether to approve a proposed constitutional amendment that would give the state legislature the power to temporarily redraw congressional maps. The new map is intended to redraw the state’s districts to give Democrats a 10-1 advantage over Republicans.
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Abigail Spanberger, the governor of Virginia and a newly inaugurated Democrat, backed the measure, which comes ahead of the November midterms, paving the way for Democrats to pick up as many as four seats in Washington. The election has a potentially big impact on the slim Republican majority in the US House of Representatives.
As Virginians head to the polls, which are now open and run through April 21, they will be asked a single question: Should the Virginia Constitution be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections while ensuring that the regular redistricting process resumes after the 2030 census?
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What is redistribution?
It is a process that usually occurs every ten years after the census. But Virginia’s recent mid-decade effort to redraw its districts is unusual. According to Jared McDonald, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington, the effort reflects a larger bipartisan political battle for representation in the nation’s government that is increasingly challenging the traditional norms of congressional map-making.
Proponents say the Virginia redistricting push is a necessary response to similar Republican efforts in states like Texas, North Carolina and Missouri. The report, citing an expert, said the moves were made without voter input, a marked departure from Virginia’s approach of putting the issue directly to voters.
What do minority maps mean in Virginia?
The proposed map consolidates many of Virginia’s majority-minority counties where minorities make up more than half of the county’s population. According to the report, if the measure passes, Virginia could send more Democrats to Congress. However, those chosen may be less likely to be people of color. Opponents of the amendment raised these concerns in advertisements, arguing that the new map could dilute minority representation.
