Implementing data from the 2010 U.S. Census, the Virginia General Assembly will look to redraw congressional, Senate and House of Delegates districts to factor in population growth in urban areas such as Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads.
Redistricting occurs every 10 years to ensure that each district contains an equal number of residents.
"In the past, most of the power has been seated in rural areas," said Garren Shipley, communications director for the Republican Party of Virginia. "It is going to shift for the first time into urban areas because that's where the majority of people live."
The detailed results from the Census will be released in March, at which point the General Assembly will redraw districts, said Isaac Wood, media relations coordinator at the Center for Politics and former Cavalier Daily columnist.
The redistricting plan is passed by both houses and sent to the governor to either approve or veto. The districts where population has increased will become more compact while those with fewer residents will expand.
Del. Ward Armstrong, D-10th district, agreed that the redistricting will be largely affected by the continued growth in urban areas.
"You will see delegate seats leaving South and Southwest Virginia," he said. "You will see the effort from Republicans in the House to strengthen their grip by doing everything they can to get rid of Democrats."
Redistricting can present challenges to both Democrats and Republicans in the state, as changes in the makeup of districts can affect their chances of being reelected.
Elections in November may determine which party has greater influence over how the lines will be drawn when detailed Census data is released in March.
"If Republicans manage to take over the four seats they are targeting, they may be able to redraw the district lines in a way that will make them easier to keep control of them in the future," Wood said.
Armstrong noted that very few races for the General Assembly are truly competitive because districts are designed to comprise single parties.
"Virginia is very much a swing state," Armstrong said. "It is not hugely red or blue, but this is not well reflected because of partisan redistricting"
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