High court could cause Va. election drama, but likely won't

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court could throw a wrench into Virginia politics with a decision expected this month.

The state is holding primaries Tuesday, but under one seemingly longshot outcome in a case still to be decided, the justices could require revisions to about two dozen state House voting districts and, in theory, a new primary within months.

A district revision and revote before November's general election has the potential to be confusing and disruptive, and an additional cost. Some candidates running for the Virginia House of Delegates could need to requalify for the ballot. Hundreds of thousands of voters might need to be told that the district they vote in to choose their state House member has changed for the second time in less than a year.

The court's decision could come as early as Monday. Supreme Court experts, however, say it's almost unthinkable that the justices' decision will change the districts and cause election drama.

"I just think it's so unlikely that the Supreme Court is going to mess with the districts at this point I would not be overly concerned," said Richard Hasen, an election law expert and professor at the University of California, Irvine.

If Hasen is right, that will mean the state carries on with a plan to have voters choose lawmakers to the 100-member House using a map seen as favorable to Democrats in the general election. The map has the potential to flip control of the chamber, where Republicans currently hold by an 51-49 edge. Regardless of what the Supreme Court decides, it will be the last time the map is used because it will need to be redrawn following the results of the 2020 census.

In two other cases still awaiting decision, one from Maryland and another from North Carolina, the Supreme Court is considering...