The Republican National Committee filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against Virginia election officials, accusing them of violating the state’s constitution by proceeding prematurely with a special election that allows voters to decide whether the state’s congressional map is redrawn.
A proposed constitutional amendment will bring Virginia Democrats’ redistricting push to voters in the special election this spring. If amended, the Virginia Constitution would allow state lawmakers to take over the map-drawing process from an independent commission approved by voters in 2020.
“It does not ‘restore fairness’ to replace a nonpartisan redistricting process through an independent commission with a partisan one through a body that is made up of a majority of only one political party,” the 48-page lawsuit states.
Both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly are controlled by Democrats, handing the party a significant advantage in passing the redistricting measure.
The RNC alleges that the proposed amendment is unconstitutional because it targets specific localities within the commonwealth, an authority that the Virginia legislature lacks under the state constitution.
The complaint was filed on Wednesday in the Virginia Circuit Court of Tazewell County. Plaintiffs say Tazewell is the “proper” venue for any potential litigation concerning the proposed amendment, despite Democrats’ insistence on hearing cases related to the amendment in Richmond.
The lawsuit asks the Tazewell County court to block state officials from holding the special election, transmitting and posting the bill’s “defective ballot question,” or bringing the proposed amendment before voters this spring. It maintains that the redistricting push fails to comply with the state constitution’s amendment process.
The plaintiffs argue there was no “intervening [general] election” separating the state legislature’s votes in favor of the amendment, as required by a clause under the Virginia Constitution.
Last week, the Supreme Court of Virginia ruled that the statewide referendum on the proposed constitutional amendment can move forward while courts settle the measure’s legality.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) signed the legislation earlier this month, beginning the process to send the constitutional amendment to voters.
The special election is currently scheduled for April 21, with early voting set to start March 6.
VIRGINIA DEMOCRAT RUNNING FOR NEW HOUSE SEAT CREATED BY HIS OWN REDISTRICTING PLAN
Joining the RNC in filing the lawsuit are the National Republican Congressional Committee and Reps. Ben Cline (R-VA) and Morgan Griffith (R-VA).
The Washington Examiner contacted the Democratic National Committee and the Virginia Democratic Party for comment.
