Virginia Democrats' Contradictory Definition of 'Election' Reveals Partisan Manipulation
Source: Breccan F. Thies. "VA's Dems Argued Election Is Single Day After Forcing 45-Day Vote." May 9, 2026. thefederalist.com
The Gist
The author argues that Virginia Democrats were being hypocritical and manipulative. They created a 45-day voting period, then tried to sneak in a referendum after most people had already voted, claiming the 'election' was really just one day to justify their timing.
Conclusion
Virginia Democrats hypocritically argued that an 'election' is only one day when defending their gerrymander referendum, despite having previously established a 45-day voting period for all other purposes
Premises
- Democrats in 2020 changed Virginia elections from single-day voting to a 45-day voting period
- Democrats waited until 42 days into the 2025 election (after 1.3 million votes were cast) to introduce their gerrymander referendum
- To defend this timing, Democrats argued the 'election' is only Election Day, contradicting their own 45-day voting system
- The Virginia Supreme Court rejected this argument, ruling that if voting lasts 45 days, the entire period constitutes the 'election'
- This timing disenfranchised voters who had already cast ballots without knowledge of the upcoming referendum vote
Assumptions
- Consistency in defining electoral terms is important for democratic legitimacy
- Voters should have full information about what they're voting on before casting ballots
- Political parties should not be able to manipulate electoral definitions for partisan advantage
- Early voting can disadvantage voters who lack complete information