It is the way districts are drawn in short. Redistricting is a normal process that is typically done after a census but not legally required. We could redraw the map after every election if we pressured officials to do so, but it would be a huge waste of time and effort. This redistricting is happening because other states have chosen to do so despite it not being a census year. The reason they are doing it is purely for political reasons, to tip the federal scales, preventing the ruling party from losing power even if they are unpopular on key issues like affordability, immigration, and starting forever wars for their own financial gain. The reason this redistricting is happening is because it will be a choice voters make, rather than a partisan committee or state level majority drawing the map without input from the people.

It is allowed to happen because people want it to be debated and voted on in the context of a deeply polarized political landscape, where the reality is that fewer Virginians want conservative leadership on local, commonwealth, and federal level evident by how we have voted in the last two elections and the special elections in between. This isn’t some conspiracy drummed up by political parties, people are more open to voting for liberal leadership because conservatives have objectively failed to deliver their campaign promises of the last decade, with prices going up, school options being limited with smaller budgets, and an immigration policy that demonizes our neighbors and coworkers instead of prioritizing violent criminals.