Will the Virginia Supreme Court rule on the redistricting case that gives Dems more seats by May 15?

The Virginia Supreme Court issued a 4-3 ruling on May 8, 2026, striking down a constitutional amendment that would have redrawn the state's 11 congressional districts — resolving YES on whether a ruling would arrive before May 15. The court found the General Assembly had violated procedural rules by voting to place the redistricting amendment on the ballot after early voting had already begun in the 2025 House of Delegates elections, which the majority held deprived more than 1.3 million Virginians of a meaningful opportunity to weigh the issue when selecting their legislators. Virginia voters had approved the new district map by a 52-to-48 margin in a referendum, but the court's procedural ruling nullified that result.

Under the struck-down map, Democrats would have gained approximately four additional congressional seats, shifting the delegation from its current 6-5 Democratic majority to a roughly 10-1 advantage; the existing map will remain in effect for the 2026 midterm elections. State Democrats said they intended to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The community predicted YES at 51 percent, correctly and narrowly anticipating that a ruling would come before the deadline.