A Virginia court has barred state officials from finalizing the results of a closely contested congressional redistricting referendum, ruling that both the measure and the legislation that set it in motion violate the constitution, according to an order issued Wednesday.

Attorney General Jay Jones said his office will challenge the ruling, confirming to 7News that an appeal is already underway.

The decision was handed down by the Tazewell Circuit Court, which has previously intervened in the matter, repeatedly finding both the referendum itself and the resolution behind it unconstitutional. The court’s position aligned with arguments made in lawsuits filed by Republican plaintiffs.

Earlier efforts to stop the referendum had been overturned by the Virginia Supreme Court, allowing the vote to proceed.

Voters narrowly approved the measure on Tuesday, advancing a plan to redraw Virginia’s congressional districts. The proposed changes could shift the state’s representation to 10 Democrats and one Republican in the U.S. House, compared to the current split of six Democrats and five Republicans.

State Democrats had backed the mid-cycle redistricting effort in response to President Donald Trump, who had previously encouraged Republican-led states to pursue similar moves ahead of the midterm elections.

Legal challenges to the referendum remain ongoing.

The Republican National Committee, which was among the plaintiffs in the case and prevailed in this ruling, praised the court’s decision and sharply criticized the redistricting push.

“Last night, Democrats only managed to squeak out a narrow 3-point victory despite burning tens of millions in cash and manipulating voters with misleading ballot language,” a spokesperson for the RNC wrote. “Every step of the way, Democrats lied and deceived Virginians to push forward what has always been illegal under state law, and today’s decision once again reaffirms that.”

Jones, however, pushed back against the ruling, emphasizing the legitimacy of the vote.

“As I said last night, Virginia voters have spoken, and an activist judge should not have veto power over the People’s vote. We look forward to defending the outcome of last night’s election in court,” Attorney General Jones said in his statement to 7News.