The Forward Party is encouraging Virginia voters to prioritize stability in the rules governing how state congressional are drawn as they participate in early voting on a constitutional referendum that could temporarily amend the current process.
Early voting began this month and will run through April 18, followed by Election Day on April 21. The proposed measure before voters would allow the Virginia General Assembly to redraw state congressional districts before the next scheduled redistricting cycle in 2031 under specific circumstances.
In an email Thursday, the Forward Party called the vote a key moment for voters concerned about maintaining maps free from direct political control. It treats the referendum as part of a broader debate over how districts are drawn and to what extent states should be able to alter boundaries between decennial redistricting cycles.
“How districts are drawn shapes how elections function, from how competitive races are to how responsive leaders are to the people they represent,” the statement read, adding that the Forward Party feels “the goal should be simple: fair processes, consistent rules, and elections where voters feel their voices truly matter.”
The party said that election systems across the country have become too frequently shaped by structural barriers, such as gerrymandering, closed primaries, and restrictive ballot access rules, which has narrowed the number of candidates available to voters and pushes independent-minded candidates to the sidelines who might otherwise be reluctant to participate in a partisan process.
Under state law, Virginia’s congressional districts are drawn once every ten years by the Virginia Redistricting Commission, a bipartisan body composed of eight legislators and eight citizens with equal representation from Republicans and Democrats. The state’s current map was adopted following the 2020 census and first used in the 2022 elections.
The proposed amendment would permit the General Assembly to redraw districts earlier if another state redraws its own congressional map before the next census without being ordered to do so by a court. The legislature’s authority to make such changes would expire in October 2030, with the redistricting commission resuming responsibility for drawing districts following that census.
Included with the message was a formal statement in which the party argued that predictability helps strengthen public confidence in elections and prevent cycles of partisan escalation. It said Virginia voters have already expressed their preferences when they originally approved of creating the redistricting commission, including support for a fairer and more transparent process and an end to partisan map-drawing.
“We understand the political pressures driving renewed calls to revisit those maps,” the statement said. “Across the country, we have seen escalating partisan battles over redistricting. When one party manipulates district lines in places like Texas or North Carolina to entrench power, the other party often feels compelled to respond in kind.”
Despite those pressures, the party said it believes the principle should remain the same regardless of which party is advocating for changes, warning that failing to maintain consistent standards risks creating a system “where leaders choose their voters.”
“Virginia has an opportunity to lead by example,” the statement closed. “Respecting stable rules and fair processes strengthens public trust and encourages the kind of competitive elections that bring more voices, including independent voices, into the democratic process.”
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