Redistricting referendum 2026 — live updates and results

Curious how turnout at University-area precincts compares with 2025's results? We have an interactive chart displaying what turnout was like at the same time as last year. The chart will be updated throughout the day.

It is 7 p.m. in the Commonwealth, meaning polls are now closed in the referendum vote. If you are still in line to vote once polls close, you must be let in to cast your ballot.

Returns will begin coming in quickly, but may not necessarily reflect the final outcome. Some large counties in Northern Virginia, like Fairfax County, tend to report large amounts of votes later in the evening, which can make Republicans, or in this case, the “No” campaign, appear ahead earlier in the evening.

When the Associated Press determines a winner, it will be promptly posted here on the live blog.

With two hours left in the day to cast a vote, students at polling locations continue expressing the importance of showing up to the polls. First-year College student Amaris Reese, who voted at Slaughter Recreation Center, highlighted the significance of exercising voting rights.

“I … think it’s important if you have the right to vote, or the ability to vote, that you should vote,” Reese said. “Especially me being Black — people fought for me to have this ability. I’m not [going to] take it for granted.”

Second-year College student Sajad Alsafee echoed similar sentiments to other Democratic students interviewed by The Cavalier Daily throughout the day, saying it is important to make voices heard this election and that voting “yes” responds to Republican gerrymanders in other states.

“Especially with this election, Republicans have been gerrymandering for years, and all of the sudden, now we have control in Virginia,” Alsafee said. “I think … Democrats should grow a backbone and actually fight back, and not just play purity politics.”

At Trailblazer Elementary School, The Cavalier Daily interviewed two students side-by-side — who voted opposite of one another. Third-year College student Beckett Smith, who is tabling for the “No” campaign at Trailblazer, has been speaking to students outside the polls encouraging them to vote “No.” Smith said he opposes gerrymandering everywhere, including in Republican states.

“Virginia should take this stand against gerrymandering, because I do disagree with what happened in Texas,” Smith said.

Fourth-year Engineering student Sam Chun said while he voted “Yes” as a response to redistricting efforts in Republican states, he too generally opposes gerrymandering.

“I’m not for gerrymandering in most circumstances, so I can see why someone would have a strong opinion about not wanting to do that,” Chun said.

Del. Katrina Callsen, D-Charlottesville, made a stop Tuesday afternoon at the Herman Key Recreation Center, a polling location near the Downtown Mall, to campaign in support of the redistricting referendum. In an interview with The Cavalier Daily, Callsen encouraged all University students to participate in the election and emphasized the broader stakes of the vote.

“This is really the chance that people have to weigh in on what's happening nationally, and so they need to show up and they [need to] vote,” Callsen said. “What we're doing in Virginia is in response to what Trump has asked Republican states to do, and if you are a Democrat, it's important to protect our voice at the national level, and that requires a ‘yes’ vote today.”

Despite lower turnout reported at University-area precincts, Callsen said she is not concerned, pointing out that referendums with only one item on the ballot often draw fewer voters and that turnout levels so far were still encouraging for that context.

“I'm not concerned because I honestly think that this is in the hands of voters,” Callsen said. “I think it's important to note that this is really about [University students’] future, and so they really need to be showing up and making sure they're voting.”

First-year Engineering student Joseph Watkins told The Cavalier Daily that he cast a “no” vote against the redistricting referendum. Watkins’ rationale aligns with that of many prominent Republican politicians who have called the effort a partisan attempt to muster more political control.

“Pretty much every politician is against gerrymandering, and there's really no reason to support it other than partisanship,” Watkins said. “Out of fairness, I voted no.”

Charlie Burns, member of Charlottesville Democrats and first-year Masters of Public Policy student, tabled outside of Trailblazer Elementary School this morning. He said his role was to give undecided voters information on the vote. Burns said he supports the Democratic campaign because of his disagreement with Trump’s mid-decade redistricting efforts in other states.

“The way I see it, is … we can, as Democrats, roll over and let the other side play by new rules, or we can kind of get down in the mud,” Burns said. “I’m choosing to do some extreme things to hopefully put a check on Trump’s power for at least the next few years.”

On the other hand, first-year College student Abby Brown tabled for the vote “no” side of the redistricting efforts this morning at Trailblazer, calling the proposed map “totally unfair.”

“[I] want to help talk to voters [and] explain why they should vote,” Brown said. “We get the argument, ‘Oh, Texas did it. This other state did it.’ But we also can’t ignore the fact that other Democratic states have done it, and so it’s not fair.”

Third-year Architecture student Maren Meinhold, hailing from out of state, voted at Trailblazer Elementary this afternoon. In an interview with The Cavalier Daily, she expressed the importance of exercising her right to vote, regardless of where she is originally from.

“Especially as an out-of-state student living in Virginia, I think it's important to educate yourself on your host state and [learn] more about it, just as someone from outside of the state,” Meinhold said. “Get out here and vote.”

President Donald Trump spoke with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R) on a telerally call Monday evening, in which he urged Virginia voters to reject the redistricting amendment. Trump called the amendment a “blatant partisan power grab,” criticizing Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) and “far-left Democrats in Richmond.” Trump warned that if the referendum passes, “Virginia Democrats will eliminate four out of five congressional seats,” leaving voters “wiped out in terms of representation in Washington.”

Democrats are bringing out their own national figures. Former President Barack Obama has repeatedly campaigned for the “Yes” side, as Democrats hope his popularity with Virginia Democrats will generate enthusiasm for their side. Obama was used by both campaigns this cycle as a tactic, with the “No” side attempting to tie the former president to his past opposition to gerrymandering.

Voter turnout as of 9:00 a.m. is significantly lagging behind voter turnout from last year’s gubernatorial race at all four University-area precincts that The Cavalier Daily is following. In terms of in-person vote counts, Miller has seen 41 voters, Trailblazer has seen 58, Johnson has seen 157 and Slaughter has seen 46. Last November by this time, Miller had 80 voters, Trailblazer had 128, Johnson had 197 and Slaughter had 121. In total, this year’s turnout is just 57.4 percent of last year’s in-person turnout at this time.

Notably, because Tuesday is not a state Election Day holiday, the University continued to hold classes. In a typical general election, students would have the day off.

If you are not registered to vote in Charlottesville and you have yet to vote in another county or state, you can still register same-day at the polls. Look up your polling place on the Virginia Department of Elections website and show up there to fill out a provisional ballot. For more information, check out The Cavalier Daily's guide to voting as a student in the Charlottesville area from last year's elections. A University student ID is an acceptable form of identification in Virginia.

While the constitutional amendment has received a great deal of attention statewide, some University-area precincts are underperforming the statewide average of early votes when compared with turnout in the November 2025 election.

At the conclusion of early in-person voting on the constitutional amendment, three of the four precincts — Slaughter Recreation Center, Johnson and Trailblazer Elementary — were below average for their respective precincts, as of April 18, according to State Navigate. The voting location at the Miller Center in Albemarle County saw 444 early votes, or 101.1 percent of early voter totals in November 2025. The Slaughter Recreation Center in Albemarle County saw 216 early votes, while Charlottesville’s Johnson and Trailblazer elementary schools saw 499 and 230, respectively. That calculates to a respective 94.7 percent, 91.2 percent and 74.7 percent of the early vote totals from last November’s election. Miller and Slaughter are above the statewide benchmark, which is around 94.3 percent of November’s early vote.

Charlottesville City and Albemarle County are two strongholds for Democrats, and a big election day turnout in the Charlottesville area would likely be beneficial for the “Yes” side. Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) won nearly 90 percent of the vote in Charlottesville in her 15-point statewide win last November.

Today is election day — unofficially. Voters across the Commonwealth have been voting for weeks on whether to approve a Democrat-led plan to redraw the state's congressional maps before the midterm elections later this year. If enacted, Democrats could expand their advantage in the state's congressional delegations from a six to five majority to a 10 to one advantage.

Democrats argue they are simply responding to Republican efforts to redistrict first — starting in Texas last summer. Republicans have bashed the map as a partisan gerrymander intended to cement Democrats' advantage and win back the U.S. House. Recent polls from The Washington Post and State Navigate each showed the referendum passing by five points. A "Yes" vote indicates you support redrawing the maps, while a "No" vote opposes it.

The Cavalier Daily has you covered all day with live turnout updates at polling places around the city and county. Follow along here and on Instagram @cavalierdaily for live updates.