Article Text

Fairfax County Public Schools will close April 21 as voters consider a constitutional amendment that could allow Virginia lawmakers to redraw the state’s congressional districts before 2031.

Schools will serve as polling locations during the statewide special election. The proposed amendment would permit the General Assembly to approve new district boundaries in time for the 2026 congressional election.

Congressional maps are generally redrawn every 10 years using new census data. Mid-decade redistricting, however, has gained momentum as political parties seek an advantage in elections.

Social studies teacher Joshua Henry said both major parties want maps that help them increase their representation in the U.S. House. He noted that partisan gerrymandering is permitted under Supreme Court precedent, while drawing districts based on race is not.

Six states have already completed mid-decade redistricting, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Four others, including Virginia, have proposed measures that would allow new congressional maps.

Henry said the latest push began in Republican-controlled Texas, where President Donald Trump encouraged officials to redraw districts in an effort to increase the number likely to elect Republicans.

A “yes” vote in Virginia would authorize mid-decade redistricting ahead of the 2026 elections. Under the proposal, control over congressional mapmaking would return to the Virginia Redistricting Commission in 2031.

A “no” vote would retain the current system, under which the commission handles redistricting once every decade.

The April 21 election will also change the FCPS calendar. Because schools will close that day, elementary schools will no longer hold the early-release days previously scheduled for April 22 and April 29.