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Virginia voters will decide Tuesday, April 21, whether to approve a referendum that could reshape the commonwealth’s U.S. House districts for at least five years, including new boundaries for the November election.

The measure should be rejected because it would return too much control over redistricting to legislators, some of whom have already announced campaigns for districts they are seeking to redraw.

Virginia began moving away from partisan mapmaking in 2019, when the General Assembly created a 16-member redistricting commission composed of lawmakers and citizens. Voters overwhelmingly added the bipartisan commission to the Virginia Constitution in 2020.

Although the commission is not perfect, it offers a better path toward compact, contiguous and fairly representative districts. The proposed ballot measure would undermine that work for the foreseeable future and allow politicians greater influence over the boundaries determining who represents Virginia communities.

The maps connected to the proposal illustrate the concern. Localities outside Richmond would share representation with the City of Falls Church, while Richmond and Danville would be placed together. Roanoke would join Rosslyn, and Alexandria would share a district with Williamsburg.

Prince William County would be divided among five districts, as would neighboring Fairfax County. Democratic U.S. Rep. Don Beyer has said the proposed districts “seem unfair for Virginia,” even while defending the broader effort.

Supporters describe the Democratic-backed measure as an attempt at fairness, but concentrating mapmaking authority among elected officials risks protecting incumbents and weakening public accountability. District lines should reflect communities rather than the political interests of those seeking office.

Virginians approved the redistricting commission to limit partisan manipulation and give citizens a stronger role in choosing their representatives. They should preserve that system by voting no on April 21.