Common Cause, the nation’s premiere redistricting leader, is urging Virginia state legislators to meet the organization’s six fairness criteria or face opposition. News reports say a special session could start as soon as this afternoon to create additional Democratic-controlled congressional districts. 

“We know Virginians have a daily front row seat to the power grabs the Trump administration flexes daily. No one wants to be here—least of all voters—but mid-decade redistricting is back. Since we can’t wish it away, Common Cause’s Fairness Criteria give states a roadmap to avoid turning short-term partisan political fights into lasting harm for fair representation,” said Dan Vicuña, Common Cause Senior Director of Voting and Fair Representation. “For more than 50 years, Common Cause has fought to ensure voters choose their politicians—not the other way around—and we’re not stopping now.” 

Common Cause does not endorse partisan gerrymandering and created its Fairness Criteria as a national framework to guide states as they navigate this escalating redistricting cycle. The criteria were developed to prevent partisan reactions—Democratic and Republican alike—from entrenching long-term inequities in representation. To date, Common Cause has evaluated mid-decade redistricting in three states: California, Missouri, and Texas. States must meet all six criteria to avoid Common Cause’s opposition. 

Common Cause’s Six Fairness Criteria:  

• Proportionality: Any mid-decade redistricting should be a targeted response proportional to the threat posed by mid-decade gerrymanders in other states. 

• Public participation: Any redistricting must include meaningful public participation, whether through ballot initiatives or open public processes.  

• Racial equity: Redistricting must not further racial discrimination or dilute the political voice of Black, Latino, Indigenous, Asian American, and Pacific Islander, or other communities of color.  

• Federal reform: A public endorsement of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act, including provisions banning mid-decade redistricting and partisan gerrymandering.  

• Endorsement of independent redistricting: Leaders pursuing mid-decade redistricting must publicly endorse fair, neutral redistricting processes, such as, citizen-led independent redistricting commissions. 

• Time-limited: Any new redistricting maps must expire following the 2030 Census.  

To read more about Common Cause’s fairness criteria, click here.