For the first time ever, voters have the power to fundamentally change how redistricting is done in Virginia.
If Amendment 1 passes, districts will be drawn based on where people live and the boundaries of their communities -- not to benefit Democrats or Republicans. Voters will be able to choose their politicians, and politicians will no longer be able to choose their voters.
Getting the amendment on the ballot was a two-year endeavor. In 2019, with Republicans in the majority, we passed the first of two required resolutions. Then, an election must occur and the legislature must again pass the identical amendment in order for it to appear on the ballot. In 2020, Republicans, now in the minority, unanimously supported the resolution while only 9 out of 55 House Democrats supported the resolution.
Because of Republican support, Virginia has the opportunity to amend our Constitution and bring real redistricting reform to Virginia.
If Amendment 1 is passed this November -- as I hope it does -- Virginia will create a bipartisan redistricting commission to handle the drawing of new legislative districts. Redistricting occurs every 10 years, after each census, and impacts the House of Delegates, Senate of Virginia, and Congressional districts.
This would impact the 2021 redistricting process. If Amendment 1 fails, the next opportunity for real redistricting reform wouldn’t be until 2030.
Dino Drudi of Alexandria summed it up well in this recent letter: "...Voters who care about honest government, who believe a viable two-party system produces better government and prevents abuse of power, whether Democrat, Republican, independent, or third party, must vote for the redistricting reform constitutional amendment to preserve our state government's integrity."
A short video explaining the amendment and why we need it is here.
This election is critical for the direction of our country, and Amendment 1 is critical for the direction of our Commonwealth. Please join me in voting YES on Amendment 1 for bipartisan redistricting.
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