ISTANBUL

Virginia’s Supreme Court has cleared the way for a spring referendum on congressional redistricting, intensifying a broader national struggle over electoral maps ahead of the US midterm elections, according to a report.

The Washington Times reported on Friday that the court allowed the April 21 special election to proceed while legal challenges continue, meaning voters could decide whether to grant Virginia’s legislature authority to redraw districts through 2030, temporarily overriding the bipartisan commission created by a 2020 constitutional amendment.

Early voting is set to begin on March 6.

‘Virginians will have final say’

Democratic lawmakers have framed the proposal as a response to Republican-led mid-decade redistricting efforts in states such as Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, and Missouri, moves encouraged by President Donald Trump to help Republicans protect their narrow US House majority.

GOP-led Texas was among the first to revise maps, prompting countermeasures from Democratic-led states, including California.

Supporters welcomed the court’s decision.

“Today’s order is a huge win for Virginia voters,” Dan Gottlieb, spokesperson for Virginians for Fair Elections, said in a statement. “The Court made it clear that nothing in this case stops the April 21 referendum from moving forward and that Virginians will have the final say.”

Opponents argue the initiative reverses bipartisan reforms designed to remove politicians from the map-drawing process.

A coalition, including former Virginia governor and US senator George Allen, urged voters to reject the measure, warning: “Thanks to the strong recent vote of the people, Virginia has much better standards of fairness than this. We must stand above these sorts of political election-rigging schemes.”

The legality of the process remains under review by the state’s highest court, leaving open the possibility that the ballot measure could be invalidated even after votes are cast.