Vote YES: Virginia Redistricting Special Election — Early Voting Starts Today

Early Voting Starts Today — Here’s What You Need to Know

Starting today, March 6, Virginians can cast their vote in a special election that will decide whether the state legislature can temporarily redraw Virginia’s congressional districts before the November 2026 midterm elections.

AFGE Local 2328’s position: Vote YES.

This is not a routine election. It’s a statewide constitutional amendment referendum — and your vote matters more than usual because turnout will be low. Here’s everything you need to know.

🗳️ When and Where to Vote

Hampton early voting location:
Voter Registrar’s Office
101 Kings Way, Hampton, VA
Phone: (757) 727-6218

Early voting hours:

March 6 – April 18: Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday, April 11: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday, April 18: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Election Day: April 21, 2026 — polls open 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM at your regular polling place.

Key deadlines:

April 10 (5:00 PM) — Last day to request a mail-in ballot
April 14 — Last day to register to vote or update your registration (5:00 PM in person, 11:59 PM online)
April 18 (5:00 PM) — Last day for early in-person voting

Check your registration or register at: vote.elections.virginia.gov

📋 What’s on the Ballot?

There is one question:

“Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, while ensuring Virginia’s standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census?”

A YES vote means the Virginia General Assembly — currently controlled by Democrats — can redraw the state’s 11 congressional districts before the 2026 midterms.

A NO vote means the current map, drawn by the Virginia Supreme Court in 2021, stays in place.

🔍 Why This Matters

In 2021, Virginia’s bipartisan redistricting commission couldn’t agree on new maps, so the Virginia Supreme Court stepped in and drew the congressional districts we have today. Those districts currently produce a 6 Republican – 5 Democrat split in Virginia’s congressional delegation.

In 2025, the Trump administration pressured Republican-controlled states like Texas, North Carolina, and Missouri to redraw their maps mid-decade to gain more GOP seats in the U.S. House. This was an unprecedented break from the tradition of only redistricting after the census every 10 years.

Virginia Democrats responded with their own mid-decade redistricting effort. The General Assembly passed legislation to temporarily suspend the redistricting commission and allow the legislature to draw new maps — but only if voters approve the constitutional amendment first.

Republicans filed lawsuits to block the vote. A circuit court in Tazewell County sided with them, but the Virginia Supreme Court overruled that decision on February 13 and again on March 5, allowing the election to proceed while legal challenges continue.

✊ Why AFGE Local 2328 Says Vote YES

As federal employees, our livelihoods depend on who represents us in Congress. The people who vote on our pay, our benefits, our retirement, and our job protections are elected through these districts.

When other states gerrymander their maps to lock in partisan advantage, it weakens the voice of working people everywhere — including right here at Hampton VAMC. Fair maps mean fair representation. Fair representation means legislators who actually have to answer to the communities they serve.

This amendment is a one-time, temporary measure. After the 2026 elections, Virginia’s standard redistricting process — including the bipartisan commission — resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census.

Your union is asking you to vote YES.

🔗 Resources

Don’t sit this one out. Early voting is open NOW. Go vote.