The Supreme Court turned aside Friday an effort from Virginia Democrats to keep alive the commonwealth’s new congressional map, leaving in place the Virginia Supreme Court ruling holding the ballot measure process violated the Constitution.

The one-line, unsigned, unexplained order from the justices declined to pause the state justices’ decision — effectively leaving in place the current Virginia congressional map, where Republicans currently hold five of the 11 House seats.

The Democrats’ preferred map, which was adopted by the now-voided ballot measure, would have allowed Democrats to win as many as 10 seats.

The ruling comes amid a nationwide partisan redistricting arms race touched off last year by President Donald Trump.

The Virginia Supreme Court decision last week found that the legislature violated the state’s constitution when it set the ballot measure process in motion. The constitution has a requirement for an “intervening election” between the passage of the first and second portions of the ballot measure.

The justices of Virginia’s Supreme Court found the legislature violated that requirement by approving the ballot initiative process on Oct. 31, when early voting had already begun. The general election was held Nov. 4.

Virginia Democrats in an emergency application asked the justices to put a hold on that ruling, arguing that the state court incorrectly interpreted both state and federal law.

The original Republican challengers asked the Supreme Court to let the state decision stand.

The redistricting arms race started last year when the Texas legislature drew a map targeting five Democrat-held House seats. Other states, including Florida, Missouri, Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee, have followed suit to try and gain control of Democrat-held seats.

Virginia was one of two Democrat-controlled states that sought to redraw congressional maps amid the nationwide furor started by Trump. California adopted a new congressional map last year by ballot measure targeting five Republican-held House seats.

The case is Don Scott, in his official capacity as Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates et al., v. Ryan T. McDougle, Virginia State Senator and Legislative Commissioner for the Virginia Redistricting Commission.