Virginia voters began casting early ballots on a referendum that would replace the state's congressional maps ahead of the November midterm elections, with Gov. Glenn Youngkin campaigning at an early voting precinct in Leesburg. The ballot question asked whether to adopt new maps that could allow Democrats to win all but one seat in the state's 11-member U.S. House delegation.

Virginia's current delegation consists of six Democrats and five Republicans. Under the proposed maps, four Republican-held districts would become blue-leaning by incorporating heavily Democratic areas in northern Virginia and elsewhere, with one district resembling the shape of a lobster.

A survey by George Mason University's Schar School of Policy and Government and the Washington Post found that 52% of Virginia voters support the new maps and 47% oppose them. Polls by State Navigate and Quantus Insights reported a similarly narrow lead for the yes vote. According to campaign finance records, the main pro-referendum group received more than $64 million in contributions, while groups supporting the no vote received around $30 million.

Democratic House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries said, "This is a critical step forward for the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia, but it has national and international implications, because we can cut Donald Trump's presidency in half, legislatively." A 2020 constitutional amendment created a bipartisan commission to draw Virginia legislative maps. When the commission deadlocked, two experts nominated by lawmakers from each party and hired by the Virginia Supreme Court drew the maps. If the referendum passes, that bipartisan process would be set aside through the 2030 census.

Brian Cannon questioned whether the proposed map change was necessary. "The question for Virginia voters is, do those extra two seats matter towards the bigger picture of taking back the House this November?" he said. Cannon said Democrats could expect to win eight U.S. House seats in Virginia in the midterms without changing the maps, based on historical trends and generic ballot polls.

The Virginia vote follows redistricting activity in other states. Trump encouraged Republican-controlled governments in Texas, North Carolina, and Missouri to redraw their congressional maps, imperiling up to seven Democratic-held U.S. House seats. California voters approved a new congressional map that could oust up to five Republican lawmakers, and a court ruling may allow Democrats to pick up one U.S. House seat in Utah. Ohio's bipartisan redistricting commission approved a new congressional map that could allow Republicans to pick up two seats. Republicans hold 217 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and Democrats hold 213.