The Virginia Supreme Court will allow the redistricting referendum to proceed, staying a second injunction issued by a Tazewell County Circuit Court judge that could have potentially blocked the vote.
However, in an order, the justices made clear that their decision should not be read as a signal of how they will ultimately rule on the case. The court said its decision to grant an appellate stay does not reflect any judgment on the merits of the case, which they will continue to review and make a decision after the referendum vote on April 21.
“These issues are of grave concern to the Court,” the order states. “It is the process, not the outcome, of this effort that we may ultimately have to address. Issuing an injunction to keep Virginians from the polls is not the proper way to make this decision.”
By staying the Tazewell injunction, the high court cleared the way for the referendum to appear on the ballot while the broader constitutional questions continue to move through the courts.