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Fairfax County voters overwhelmingly supported Virginia’s redistricting amendment in Tuesday’s special election, with majorities in all but four of the county’s 265 precincts voting “yes.”

The statewide result was much closer. Preliminary Virginia Department of Elections figures showed about 51.5% supporting the amendment and 48.4% opposing it—a margin of roughly 97,600 votes among more than 3.1 million ballots cast.

The measure permits the General Assembly to approve a new congressional map outside the usual once-per-decade redistricting process. Fairfax County is poised to be divided among five congressional districts under the proposed overhaul.

In Fairfax, 69.5% of voters backed the amendment, while 30.49% opposed it. The unofficial results remain subject to certification by the State Board of Elections.

The four precincts where “no” prevailed were Clifton South at Clifton Presbyterian Church, Clifton Town at the town hall, Liberty at Liberty Middle School and Gunston at Gunston Elementary School in Lorton. In each precinct, the opposition’s advantage was fewer than 100 votes.

Support varied considerably across the rest of the county. The “yes” vote reached 90% at George Mason University’s Fairfax campus, while Sandy Run—based at Christ Church in Fairfax Station—supported the measure by a single vote, 352-351.

Fairfax County reported turnout of 46.48%, with 378,245 of its 813,762 registered voters casting ballots by the time polls closed at 7 p.m. Provisional ballots and eligible mail ballots postmarked by election day will also count if they reach the county elections office by noon Friday, April 24.

Parties offer sharply different reactions

The Fairfax County Democratic Committee, which campaigned for the amendment alongside the state Democratic Party, celebrated participation that approached general-election levels.

Turnout was below the 55.5% recorded during last November’s gubernatorial election but exceeded the 41% participation in the 2023 general election, when state legislative and local contests were on the ballot.

The committee credited its members and volunteers for the result and argued that voters viewed the referendum as a response to President Donald Trump’s efforts to help Republicans through redistricting.

Virginia Democrats now control the governor’s office and both General Assembly chambers following last November’s elections. They pursued the unusual mid-decade redistricting effort as a counter to Republican-backed map changes elsewhere.

Texas lawmakers began that push last year, redrawing congressional districts with the potential to give Republicans five additional U.S. House seats at Trump’s urging. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the map in August, and the U.S. Supreme Court allowed it to stand despite racial-discrimination arguments.

Republican-favoring maps have since been adopted in Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Utah. California voters approved a constitutional amendment in November that Democrats hope will produce five additional House seats. In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has called a special legislative session beginning April 28 to consider congressional redistricting.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger said Republican-led states had adopted new congressional maps without first seeking voters’ approval. She described Virginia’s plan as a necessary check on Trump while pledging to restore the state’s bipartisan redistricting commission after the 2030 census.

Democratic legislative leaders introduced a proposed map in February designed to give their party an advantage in 10 of Virginia’s 11 congressional districts. Before the measure reached voters, the General Assembly approved the constitutional amendment twice—during a special session last October and again in its regular 2026 session.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, whose 34th District includes southeastern Fairfax County, said Virginians had rejected attempts elsewhere to predetermine election outcomes through gerrymandering. He argued that congressional maps should represent communities instead of protecting incumbents.

Republicans condemned the amendment as a Democratic power grab. Former Attorney General Jason Miyares predicted that a future conservative resurgence would make the result a costly victory for Democrats.

Fairfax County Republican Committee Chair Katherine Gorka emphasized the referendum’s narrow statewide margin and noted that Virginians for Fair Elections, the leading campaign supporting the measure, raised more than three times as much money as the opposing Virginians for Fair Maps.

Gorka said the result was not a decisive mandate and argued that the amendment would harm Virginia, particularly rural and minority voters whose interests could be outweighed by Fairfax County residents. She also expressed hope that pending legal challenges would succeed.

Republicans contend that the ballot language favored passage and that Democrats violated the state constitution while placing the amendment before voters. The Virginia Supreme Court permitted the election to proceed while considering Republican National Committee lawsuits challenging the measure.

Oral arguments in one case are scheduled for Monday, April 27. Another case was returned to Tazewell County Circuit Court, which held a hearing Wednesday.

Both county parties are now looking toward the midterm elections. Virginia’s primaries are scheduled for Aug. 4, followed by the November general election. Fairfax Democratic Chair Debra Linick said the party intends to build on its referendum turnout to support Democratic congressional candidates, while Gorka said county Republicans will continue campaigning on fiscal responsibility, affordability, growth and the interests of voters across Virginia.