Redistricting is a constitutional requirement after each decennial census. Due to a delay in the release of census numbers and the inability of the newly formed redistricting commission to come to an agreement on district boundaries, the Virginia Supreme Court issued new maps establishing the congressional and state legislative districts at the end of December.
State-level redistricting affects three districts: the Congressional District, the State Senate District, and the House of Delegates District. Botetourt County remains in the 6th Congressional District although the boundaries have been modified. Both the State Senate and House of Delegates districts have changed. Botetourt is now in the 3rd Senate District and wholly contained in the 37th House of Delegates District. These new districts are currently in place with the previous representatives still serving in their elected offices.
However, there is an ongoing federal lawsuit arguing the results of last fall’s elections were held under legislative districts that were not updated with new census data to reflect the population shifts over the last decade. Right now, the lawsuit is at a standstill.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares’ office had until last Friday afternoon to respond to a motion seeking to dismiss the state’s challenge to a federal lawsuit trying to force another round of Virginia House elections this November. The League of Women Voters and NAACP both support having the offices on this November’s ballot but have stated they will not seek legal action. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in the case yesterday.
In Botetourt, a public hearing on the proposed boundary changes will occur at the Board of Supervisors meeting on March 22 at 3 p.m. Last month, Deputy County Administrator David Moorman and County Director of Elections & General Registrar Traci Clark presented the proposed changes to the board.
The proposed changes include shifts in boundaries between the Amsterdam and Fincastle District, Fincastle and Buchanan Districts, and Buchanan and Valley Districts. The most significant changes in Botetourt come from the proposed boundary changes between Greenfield and Fincastle Precincts, which would have voters who currently vote at Greenfield Elementary now voting at Fincastle Baptist Church, and between the Troutville and Mill Creek Precincts, where voters currently vote at Troutville Elementary School would now vote at Mill Creek Baptist Church.
The proposed process and timeline for the boundary changes in Botetourt are as follows.
- March 22 – Public hearing by the Board of Supervisors at 3 p.m.
- April 13 – A 45-day public comment period ends
- April 26 – Board of Supervisors approval of the plan
- April 27 – Advertise final plan in The Fincastle Herald
- May 1 – Advertise final plan in The Roanoke Times
- May 4 & 5 – Advertise final plan in The Herald and The Times for a second time
- May 6 – Begin mailing new voter cards to all voters
During the presentation by Moorman and Clark, they mentioned that the effective date of local redistricting may be delayed by the Commonwealth until after the June 21 primary, if one is held in this congressional district. If the delay happens, voters will use their current polling locations to vote in that primary.
All official mail from Botetourt County Department of Elections & Voter Registration will have the “Official Election Mail” banner on the envelope authorized by USPS. Residents should watch for these envelopes for information regarding redistricting and new voter cards.
Maps showing details of the proposed changes can be found on the Ccounty’s website, at the Registrar’s Office, and at the County Administrator’s Office. For more information about redistricting, contact the Registrar’s Office in Fincastle at (540) 928-2120.
