Exclusive: Barack Obama calls for Virginians to vote 'Yes' in new video just days before crucial redistricting election

Source: ABC News

April 17, 2026, 10:01 AM


Former President Barack Obama, in a video shared exclusively with ABC News, called on Virginians to vote in favor of a redistricting measure that could give Democrats a boost in the 2026 midterms if it passes.

"By voting yes, you can push back against the Republicans trying to give themselves an unfair advantage in the midterms," Obama said in the video shared with ABC News. "By voting yes, you can take a temporary step to level the playing field. And we're counting on you."

Over a million Virginians have voted early already, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, in an April 21 statewide referendum that will decide if the Democratic-controlled legislature should be allowed to redraw the state's congressional map.

That would allow the legislature to implement a map it already advanced that would reconfigure four congressional seats to favor Democrats, which could be decisive in the midterm elections for the U.S. House of Representatives given Republicans' current slim majority.

Read more: https://abcnews.com/Politics/exclusive-barack-obama-calls-virginians-vote-new-video/story?id=132078412