Polls will open on Liberty University’s campus for Virginia’s special election on April 21. Students who are registered to vote in Virginia are encouraged to head to the polls, as their votes could determine how the state districts are drawn and will affect their representation in national government.
On the ballot, students will either vote “yes” in support of redistricting ahead of the census or vote “no” to keep the districts as they are until the census in 2030.
The ballot referendum was introduced to the 2026 Virginia General Assembly by Del. Rodney Willett, D-58th District. According to Ballotpedia.org, 62 Democrats in the House, including Willett, sponsored the bill. The legislation was passed through the Senate of Virginia and the Virginia House of Delegates and then sent to Gov. Abigail Spanberger to approve the language on the voting ballot.
Spanberger officially endorsed the amendment in a March 5 press release.
“Virginians have the opportunity to take action in response to this extraordinary moment in history. That’s why, as a Virginia voter, I’m voting in favor of this amendment,” Spanberger wrote.
The redistricting debate began after the 2020 census when Texas gained population that California lost, according to USAFacts.org. Both states had to redraw their lines, which affected the number of electoral votes and their representation in the national legislature.
Currently, Virginia has a ratio of six Democratic districts and five Republican districts. The proposed legislation would change the ratio to a larger Democratic majority of 10-1, according to Cardinal News.
Redistricting occurs every 10 years after a census, depending on the population changes. States may have to redistrict to compensate for cities or counties that have an influx of constituents. However, the amendment seeks to redistrict Virginia prior to the 2030 census.
Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va, said that if the ballot referendum is passed, it would lessen the true representation of Virginians.
“A basic examination shows that instead of promoting fairness, the gerrymander causes unfairness,” Cline said. “It tells millions of Virginians … that their votes don’t matter, and they’ll never be represented in Congress.”
Del. Eric Zehr, R-51st District, is also in opposition to the ballot referendum.
“Vote ‘no,’ because we don’t want politicians picking their constituents,” Zehr said.
However, Ward 2 Councilman Sterling Wilder said that voting “yes” would be in support of Matthew 7:12, explaining that the ballot referendum is only in response to Texas’ gerrymandering.
“As a Christian, I am not comfortable with the action of Texas. The action of Virginia is a temporary measure to counter what Texas and other states are doing,” Wilder said.
Regardless of Texas or the number of seats in Congress, Del. Tim Griffin, R-53rd District, argued that what citizens of Virginia will be voting on is less about the districts and more about the true and honest representation of Virginia’s Commonwealth.
“They have carved out seats for themselves,” Griffin said. “We think that voters should choose their leaders, not leaders choose their voters.”
Liberty University alumnus Del. Wendell Walker, R-23rd District, said that voting “no” will protect Virginians’ representation in the national legislature.
“If this amendment passes, Liberty University students risk losing their voice in Congress altogether,” Walker said.
In a text message to the Liberty Champion, Walker also encouraged Liberty students to vote “no.”
“When I was a student at Liberty, Dr. Falwell always taught us to speak truth and use our voice at the ballot box,” Walker said. “This year, students have a chance to protect that voice by voting no on April 21st.”
For on-campus students, polls will open in the Montview Ballroom from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21. Liberty will also provide same-day voter registration. Off-campus students must vote at their voting precinct.
Early in-person voting is also open from March 6 through April 18. Students can find information to vote early at elections.virginia.gov.
For more information about the ballot or to find your voting precinct, visit www.liberty.edu/register-to-vote/.
Editor’s note: The Liberty Champion has reached out to Democratic delegates Katrina Callsen, Lily Franklin and Amy Laufer for comment. However, we did not receive any responses.
Gathje is the assistant feature editor for the Liberty Champion.
Graphic by Jenna Bradfield.