In a bid for emergency relief, Democratic officials in Virginia asked the US Supreme Court on Monday to reinstate the state’s new, voter-approved congressional map for the upcoming election.

The partisan redistricting amendment that would have allowed the proposed map to take effect was struck down in a 4-3 decision by the Supreme Court of Virginia on Friday of last week, citing procedural defects in the amendment’s passage.

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones and other Democratic officials are now asking for a stay, which operates as a hold, on the Virginia court’s decision. They contend that a stay is warranted because the Virginia high court was “deeply mistaken” on the critical issues of federal law that led it to conclude there were procedural issues with the timeline of passing the amendment.

This form of emergency relief would allow the new maps to remain in effect for the November midterm election until the decision could be more formally reviewed by the US Supreme Court.

In their application for a stay, the officials maintain that by forcing the state to use districts contrary to those adopted by voters and the General Assembly, the Virginia court has “deprived voters, candidates, and the Commonwealth of their right to the lawfully enacted congressional districts,” causing irreparable harm that is “profound and immediate.”

The redistricting amendment was initially passed by the General Assembly in October 2025 and was approved by Virginia voters on April 21, 2026. The new district lines set out by the amendment would have given Democrats an advantage in the upcoming midterm election, increasing the party’s chances of winning the most House seats.

Virginia’s congressional redistricting strategies come amid a series of national mid-decade redistricting efforts undertaken largely by southern states, as well as California and Utah, in an effort to counter any congressional seats gained by the Republican Party.

In response to the decision by the Virginia Supreme Court, newly elected Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger stated that she was disappointed by the ruling.