The Virginia Attorney General’s Office has approved the redistricting plan adopted by the Hanover County Board of Supervisors. The redistricting plan makes minor changes to Hanover’s magisterial districts and polling places. The General Registrar will send out new voter registration cards to Hanover voters notifying them of where they are to vote. Most voters in Hanover will not see a change. Most will vote at the same location and will remain in the same magisterial district. While there have been limited changes to local election districts, there have been significant changes to the boundaries of Congressional districts.  As a result, many voters in Hanover will now be in new districts for those federal elections.

Redistricting is required by the U.S. Constitution and the Constitution of Virginia to ensure that all voters are equally represented in government. The results of the 2020 U.S. Census showed that Hanover’s population had grown from 99,863 in 2010 to 109,991 in 2020.  As a result, the boundaries of at least five of Hanover’s seven magisterial districts had to be adjusted to ensure that the populations of each district complied with federal and state law.

The Board of Supervisors began preparing for the redistricting process in early 2021, before the release of the population figures from the Census Bureau. The Board adopted a public engagement plan in September 2021 and held several public hearings to allow the public to learn about the redistricting process and provide comment. The Board adopted a redistricting plan at its meeting on December 8, 2021. After the Board adopted its redistricting plan, the Supreme Court of Virginia issued an Order that created the boundaries for Congressional districts and the state legislative districts. In response to the Order, the Board made some minor changes to its redistricting plan.  

Pursuant to requirements set out in state Code, the Board requested that the Virginia Attorney General’s Office review the plan to ensure that it did not deny or abridge, even if unintentionally, the right to vote or effective representation of Hanoverians based on their race or color or membership in a language minority group.  The Attorney General’s Office conducted its review and, on May 9, 2022, issued a Certification of No Objection, which indicates that the Attorney General’s Office does not object to Hanover’s redistricting plan.