A congressional map approved by Virginia voters that goals to assist Democrats internet 4 US House seats in November’s midterms faces one other authorized hurdle simply at some point after its passage.
A judge in rural southern Virginia on Wednesday ordered that the outcomes of Tuesday’s vote not be licensed on a number of grounds, together with that state lawmakers didn’t observe their very own guidelines in passing the redistricting referendum. Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley additionally referred to as the poll language put to voters “flagrantly misleading.”
Hurley barred state election officers from modifying election districts or continuing with the brand new maps.
The destiny of Virginia’s referendum was already earlier than the state Supreme Court, which stayed a earlier ruling by Hurley within the run-up to the referendum and allowed Tuesday’s vote to proceed earlier than deciding the deserves of that case. The case earlier than the state Supreme Court continues to be pending.
State Attorney General Jay Jones stated his workplace intends to instantly appeal Hurley’s Wednesday ruling.
Virginians for Fair Elections, which helped lead the marketing campaign to again the referendum, stated in a press release that voters “understood exactly what was on the ballot, and they chose YES.”
“Republicans lost,” the group stated. “Now they’re trying to overturn the will of the voters in court and trying to relitigate an election they couldn’t win.”
Virginians narrowly accepted the brand new map giving Democrats a bonus in 10 of the state’s 11 US House seats, a big win for the occasion in a redistricting battle that has raged across the nation since final summer season.