A Virginia state court has blocked Democrats’ plans to redraw the state’s congressional map, ruling that lawmakers did not follow the proper legal procedure to approve the changes.

The judge said the proposed redistricting failed to meet required steps, preventing the last-minute redraw ahead of the election. Democrats are expected to appeal the decision, but the ruling is seen as a setback for efforts to reshape the map in a narrowly divided state.

The decision comes as Virginia Democrats had sought to revisit the maps approved in October, after lawmakers returned to Richmond in a special session earlier this year.