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Virginia’s high court ruled 4-3 that state Democrats failed to follow the constitutional process required to place the amendment before voters.
According to the majority opinion, lawmakers pushed the referendum forward in a manner that bypassed clear constitutional safeguards designed to protect election integrity and legislative accountability.
The court explained that Virginia’s Constitution requires proposed amendments to pass the legislature twice, with a general election occurring between those votes. But in this case, early voting for the election had already started before lawmakers finalized approval of the amendment.
The justices concluded that Democrats “submitted a proposed constitutional amendment to Virginia voters in an unprecedented manner” that violated the state’s constitution.
The court added, “This violation irreparably undermines the integrity of the resulting referendum vote and renders it null and void.”
That language sent shockwaves through Virginia politics.
Supporters of the referendum argued that voters had already approved the measure last month by a margin of roughly 51.7 percent to 48.3 percent. But the court ruled that the process itself was constitutionally defective, meaning the vote could not stand regardless of the outcome.
The dissenting justices fiercely disagreed with the majority’s interpretation.
“[T]oday the majority has broadened the meaning of the word ‘election,’ as used in the Virginia Constitution, to include the early voting period. This is in direct conflict with how both Virginia and federal law define an election,” the dissent argued.
Still, conservatives across the country celebrated the ruling as a critical victory against what they see as aggressive Democrat attempts to redraw congressional maps for partisan gain.
Donald Trump quickly praised the decision on Truth Social, declaring, “Huge win for the Republican Party, and America, in Virginia. The Virginia Supreme Court has just struck down the Democrats’ horrible gerrymander.”
Former Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin also celebrated the outcome, accusing Democrats of knowingly violating the state constitution.
“Justice has been served. From the beginning, this was the most obvious violation of Virginia’s Constitution. Abigail Spanberger and Democrats in Richmond knowingly violated our constitution to disenfranchise millions of Virginians,” Youngkin wrote on social media.
Meanwhile, Democrats reacted with outrage.
Virginia House Speaker Don Scott blasted the court’s decision and insisted voters had already spoken.
“Three million people voted in a free and fair election,” said Scott. He continued “We gave this decision to the voters — exactly where it belongs — and they spoke loud and clear. They voted YES because they wanted to fight back against the Trump power grab.”
The political implications could be enormous.
With Republicans already moving aggressively to redraw congressional maps in several Southern states following recent Supreme Court decisions, election analysts warn Democrats could face mounting losses before a single ballot is cast in the midterms.
According to Politico, Republicans could potentially gain more than ten seats nationwide through redistricting battles alone if current efforts continue.
That possibility has Democrats deeply concerned as control of the House hangs in the balance.
For Republicans, Friday’s ruling represented far more than a legal technicality. It was a symbolic rejection of what conservatives have long described as partisan manipulation hidden behind the language of “election reform.”
And with redistricting fights now exploding across the country, Virginia may only be the beginning.
