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Voting history · Virginia's 3rd Congressional District

Virginia's 3rd Congressional District

A dated list of changes to how Americans vote: district maps, polling places and drop boxes, voting laws and rules, and courts and election officials. Each entry says who did what and when, shows what became of it, and links to the page it rests on. Attempts that failed are listed as failed. Entries that rest on a news report name the outlet.

This is the district view: events tagged to this congressional district, then events that apply across Virginia, then national events. An event is tagged to a district only when its source names that congressional district. See all of Virginia.

Kind of event
Decade

In Virginia's 3rd Congressional District

2016

  1. Jan 7, 2016 Congressional district: VA-3 Maps and lines Decided by a court

    Three-judge court imposes a remedial congressional map for Virginia for the 2016 election

    On January 7, 2016, in Personhuballah v. Alcorn (E.D. Va., No. 3:13cv678), a three-judge court (Judges Diaz, O'Grady and Payne) held that "the balance of equities favors our immediate imposition of a remedial redistricting plan" and found that one of two plans proposed by special master Dr. Bernard Grofman, Congressional Plan Modification 16, "best remedies the constitutional violation." It directed the defendants to implement that plan for the 2016 U.S. House election. Senior Judge Payne dissented, writing that he would stay entry of a remedial plan until the Supreme Court resolved the case on the merits.

    Related: Three-judge court again strikes down Virginia's Third Congressional District and sets a September 1, 2015 deadline for a new plan · Supreme Court dismisses appeal over Virginia's 2013 congressional map

    Source last checked Oct 21, 2026

Across Virginia

2026

  1. Apr 21, 2026 State Maps and lines Enacted

    Voters approve the redistricting amendment in a special election

    On April 21, 2026 Virginia voters approved the redistricting amendment. The Supreme Court of Virginia's opinion cites unofficial Virginia Department of Elections results of 1,604,276 yes votes and 1,499,393 no votes and says about 3.38% of the total votes separated the two sides; Cardinal News reported a 2.9-point margin. The Supreme Court of Virginia later voided the result.

    Related: Supreme Court of Virginia voids the redistricting referendum, 4-3

    Source last checked Oct 21, 2026

  2. Jan 14, 2026 State Maps and lines Proposed

    House passes HJ 4, allowing a mid-decade congressional redraw

    On January 14, 2026 the House of Delegates passed HJ 4 by 62-33 (with one abstention), and the Senate agreed to it 21-18 on January 16, 2026, according to the Legislative Information System. Cardinal News reports it would allow a redraw of congressional maps before the 2026 midterms only if another state redistricted outside the normal cycle, for actions between January 1, 2025 and October 31, 2030, and would go to voters in a special referendum.

    Related: General Assembly first passes a mid-decade congressional redistricting amendment · Tazewell County judge rules the redistricting amendment process void

    Source last checked Oct 21, 2026

2025

  1. Oct 31, 2025 State Maps and lines Proposed

    General Assembly first passes a mid-decade congressional redistricting amendment

    The Legislative Information System record for HJ 6007 (2024 Special Session I) shows the House agreed to it 51-42 on October 29, 2025 and the Senate agreed to it 21-16 on October 31, 2025. The Supreme Court of Virginia's later opinion describes the General Assembly approving the proposed amendment on October 31, 2025 by a party-line vote during a disputed 2024 Special Session. Cardinal News reports that the General Assembly gaveled in the 2024 special session, which had never been adjourned, and that early voting for the November 2025 general election had begun on September 19, 2025.

    Related: House passes HJ 4, allowing a mid-decade congressional redraw

    Source last checked Oct 21, 2026

2021

  1. Dec 28, 2021 State Maps and lines Enacted

    Supreme Court of Virginia adopts new congressional and legislative maps

    A redistricting tracker reports that the Virginia Redistricting Commission and the General Assembly missed their deadlines, so the Supreme Court of Virginia took over. It appointed Sean P. Trende and Bernard N. Grofman as special masters on November 19, 2021, and adopted their congressional, state Senate and House of Delegates maps on December 28, 2021.

    Related: Voters approve a constitutional amendment creating the Virginia Redistricting Commission · Supreme Court of Virginia voids the redistricting referendum, 4-3

    Source last checked Oct 21, 2026

2020

  1. Nov 3, 2020 State Maps and lines Enacted

    Voters approve a constitutional amendment creating the Virginia Redistricting Commission

    On November 3, 2020 Virginia voters approved Constitutional Amendment 1 by 2,770,704 votes to 1,447,390 (65.7 percent). It created a commission of eight General Assembly members and eight citizens to draw congressional and legislative districts, with the Supreme Court of Virginia drawing them if deadlines are missed. HJ 615 had first passed in 2019.

    Related: Supreme Court of Virginia adopts new congressional and legislative maps

    Source last checked Oct 20, 2026

1991

  1. Jul 16, 1991 State Maps and lines Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects to part of the 1991 House of Delegates plan

    On July 16, 1991 the Justice Department objected to the 1991 House of Delegates redistricting plan (Chapters 11 and 16), "with regard to the manner in which it treats the Charles City County, James City County and Richmond/Henrico County area."

    Source last checked Oct 20, 2026

1982

  1. Mar 12, 1982 State Maps and lines Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects to Chapter 16, the revised 1981 House of Delegates plan

    On March 12, 1982 the Justice Department objected to Chapter 16 of the 1981 Acts of Assembly (Special Session), the House of Delegates reapportionment submitted after the July 1981 objection. The letter said it was "unable to conclude" that the plan's treatment of certain areas had no discriminatory purpose or effect, and that the plan satisfied Section 5 in most respects.

    Related: Justice Department objects to Petersburg-area districts in the 1981 House of Delegates plan

    Source last checked Oct 20, 2026

1981

  1. Jul 31, 1981 State Maps and lines Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects to Petersburg-area districts in the 1981 House of Delegates plan

    On July 31, 1981 the Justice Department objected to the 1981 House of Delegates plan as it affected district lines in the Southside and Petersburg area. The letter said the plan combined majority-Black counties and the City of Petersburg with majority-white areas, and that the Department was unable to conclude the plan was free of discriminatory purpose or effect there.

    Related: Justice Department objects to Norfolk-area districts in the 1981 Virginia Senate plan · Justice Department objects to Chapter 16, the revised 1981 House of Delegates plan

    Source last checked Oct 20, 2026

  2. Jul 17, 1981 State Maps and lines Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects to Norfolk-area districts in the 1981 Virginia Senate plan

    On July 17, 1981 the Justice Department did not object to the 1981 Senate plan except for districts 5 and 6. It said the boundary between them cut through the Black community in Norfolk so that neither district had more than a 37 percent Black population, and that the Commonwealth had "presented no plausible non-racial justification" for the lines.

    Related: Justice Department objects to Norfolk lines in the 1971 Virginia Senate plan · Justice Department objects to Petersburg-area districts in the 1981 House of Delegates plan

    Source last checked Oct 20, 2026

1971

  1. May 7, 1971 State Maps and lines Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects to Norfolk lines in the 1971 Virginia Senate plan

    A 1981 Justice Department letter records that on May 7, 1971 the Attorney General objected to the 1971 division line between Senate districts 5 and 6 in the City of Norfolk, finding that it "appears contorted and does not conform to natural boundaries." The legislation was amended, and the amended plan was precleared on August 13, 1971.

    Related: Justice Department objects to Norfolk-area districts in the 1981 Virginia Senate plan · Voting Rights Act of 1965 signed into law

    Source last checked Oct 20, 2026

Nationwide

2026

  1. Sep 10, 2026 National Maps and lines Proposed

    Census Bureau proposes residence criteria for the 2030 census that would exclude some noncitizens from the apportionment count

    On September 10, 2026 the Census Bureau, an agency of the Department of Commerce, published a proposed rule in the Federal Register (91 FR 57524, Docket No. 260903-0005, RIN 0607-AA75) that would add two new parts to the Code of Federal Regulations: residence criteria for the decennial census, and standards and restrictions for demographic questions on the census questionnaire. On residence, the notice states that "the Census Bureau proposes to include lawful permanent residents within the apportionment base, while excluding from the apportionment base illegal aliens and aliens whose legal status is less durable and indefinite in length than lawful permanent resident status," and says it is considering using administrative records to determine legal status. The comment period, first set to end October 13, 2026, was extended to November 2, 2026 by a notice published October 5, 2026. Al Jazeera and CNBC reported on the proposal, and CNBC reported that opponents expect litigation.

    Source last checked Oct 22, 2026

2021

  1. Aug 12, 2021 National Maps and lines Settled

    Census Bureau releases 2020 redistricting data for states

    On August 12, 2021, the Census Bureau released the 2020 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File, which it described as delivering data for states to begin redistricting. On September 16, 2021, it released the same data in an easier-to-use format on data.census.gov and delivered a toolkit to states.

    Source last checked Oct 22, 2026

  2. Apr 26, 2021 National Maps and lines Settled

    Census Bureau announces 2020 Census apportionment results

    On April 26, 2021, the Census Bureau announced that the 2020 Census resident population of the United States on April 1, 2020 was 331,449,281, and that Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo delivered the population counts used for apportionment of the U.S. House to the President.

    Source last checked Oct 20, 2026

1967

  1. Dec 14, 1967 National Maps and lines Enacted

    Congress requires single-member congressional districts (Public Law 90-196)

    Public Law 90-196, approved December 14, 1967, provides that in each state entitled to more than one Representative "there shall be established by law a number of districts equal to the number of Representatives to which such State is so entitled," with "no district to elect more than one Representative."

    Source last checked Oct 20, 2026

How this timeline is built

Every entry rests on at least one source that was opened and read, and that source states the date and the fact. Courts, legislatures, election offices, the Justice Department, the Census Bureau, the Federal Register and Congress.gov come first. A news report is used only when no official page states the fact, and it is labeled with the outlet's name. Encyclopedias are not used as sources. History starts in 1965 with the Voting Rights Act. County names come from the Census Bureau's 2024 Gazetteer. Congressional district numbers are those in use for the 2026 election; an event is tagged to a district only when its source names that congressional district.

When a later event changes an earlier one, such as a law later struck down, both entries are listed and point to each other. This page does not predict outcomes or say which party a change helps. U.S. House maps for 2026 · Back to the 2026 voting center.