A Virginia state court judge blocked the state’s recent redistricting referendum, ruling that votes on the measure are invalid and cannot be certified or implemented.

The judge said the ballot process violated the state constitution, including a public notice requirement, and described the question presented to voters as misleading.

The referendum, approved by a narrow margin, aimed to allow lawmakers to redraw congressional maps and replace a bipartisan redistricting commission system.

Virginia’s attorney general said he will appeal, arguing voters’ decision should stand, while Republicans called the ruling a victory against an unconstitutional “power grab,” CBS News has reported.

The dispute is part of a broader national battle over redistricting ahead of upcoming elections, with similar efforts facing legal challenges in multiple states.