Roberts Orders GOP Reply by May 14 in Virginia Democrats' Map Appeal
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · May 11
Roberts Orders GOP Reply by May 14 in Virginia Democrats' Map Appeal
7 articles · Updated · POLITICO · May 11
Chief Justice John Roberts told Republicans to answer Virginia Democrats’ emergency Supreme Court appeal by Thursday at 5 p.m. Eastern, moving the fight over the state’s new congressional map onto a fast track.
Virginia Democrats want the justices to restore the map after the Virginia Supreme Court blocked it last week, ruling lawmakers started the referendum process too late because early and absentee voting had already begun.
Their filing argues the state court adopted an "election" definition that conflicts with longstanding federal law and improperly stripped the legislature of authority over federal election rules.
A 2023 Supreme Court ruling, 6-3, said state courts can review election rules but cannot overstep and seize powers the Constitution gives state legislatures, a line Democrats say Virginia crossed.
The appeal is part of a broader post-ruling scramble over redistricting after the court narrowed the Voting Rights Act in April, though legal experts still view the Democrats' bid as a longshot.
How will the Supreme Court's ruling on 'Election Day' timing impact future voting laws across the nation?
Can a court's procedural ruling legally invalidate the direct results of a voter referendum?