A Virginia judge invalidated a voter-approved redistricting amendment Tuesday, blocking certification of election results and citing constitutional violations.

Judge Jack Hurley of Tazewell County Circuit Court ruled that both the proposed constitutional amendment and the legislative process used to advance it were “void ab initio,” meaning legally invalid from the outset. The decision came after Republican groups and two sitting members of Congress challenged the measure.

What the Ruling Blocked

Hurley ordered state officials not to certify results from the April 21 special election or implement new congressional district maps. The measure would have allowed state legislators to redraw congressional boundaries outside the standard 10-year redistricting cycle that follows the U.S. Census.

Under current Virginia law, redistricting involves a bipartisan commission and occurs once every decade. The proposed amendment would have changed that process, potentially reshaping which members of Congress represent residents.

The Constitutional Violations

The court identified multiple procedural failures in advancing the amendment. Lawmakers exceeded the scope of the 2024 special legislative session when introducing the measure, and the timing of the election did not comply with constitutional requirements.

Virginia law requires a minimum 90-day period between legislative approval of an amendment and the start of voting. Early voting began on March 6, less than 90 days after passage, which failed to meet that standard.

Hurley also found the ballot language was “flagrantly misleading” and did not accurately reflect the amendment approved by the General Assembly. State law requires ballot questions to clearly describe the measure being presented to voters.

The Broader Redistricting Fight

House Speaker Mike Johnson responded to the ruling by defending Republican redistricting efforts across the country. “The Republican states are doing what they can do lawfully under their state laws,” Johnson said, adding that Democrats initiated mid-cycle redistricting battles in states like New York and California.

Johnson argued that Republican-controlled states were responding to actions taken by Democratic-led states. “Democrats started this,” he said, pointing to redistricting efforts that began before the 2024 election cycle.

The court’s decision means the next qualifying constitutional amendment election in Virginia cannot occur until 2027 under state law requirements for amendments to pass through two separate sessions of the General Assembly.

This story has been updated. CNN’s reporting team contributed to this report.