VIRGINIA VOTERS
Our rights are on the ballot this fall.
This fall, we’ll have the opportunity to VOTE YES for three referendums that would amend the Virginia Constitution. In addition to voting for candidates to represent us in the U.S. Senate and in the House of Representative, VOTE YES for these referendums:
Protect Reproductive Freedom
Vote to enshrine reproductive freedom in the Virginia Constitution and ensure abortion care is always available when the health of the pregnant person is at risk.
Affirm Marriage Equality
Vote to protect the freedom to marry for all Virginians, and ensure all marriages and families are treated equally under the law.
Restore Voting Rights
Vote to enshrine the right to vote for all eligible citizens, and ensure a person who is convicted of a felony only loses the right to vote while incarcerated.
Why should these resolutions be added to the Virginia Constitution?
By embedding these rights in the Virginia Constitution, we can ensure long-term protections for current and future Virginians and provide a safeguard against political or legislative rollbacks.
HOW IS AN AMENDMENT ADDED TO THE CONSTITUTION?
All three resolutions were passed in the 2026 General Assembly Session.
To amend the constitution, a majority of voters must vote YES on the ballot this fall.
PRE 2025 SESSION
Legislators and key stakeholders drafted a constitutional amendment. All constitutional amendments in Virginia begin as a legislative resolution that is introduced.
2025 SESSION
The General Assembly introduced and passed the resolution out of both chambers with a majority vote.
2025 ELECTION
The House of Delegates must retain a supportive majority after the November elections.
2026 SESSION
The General Assembly must introduce and pass the resolution a second time out of both chambers with a majority vote. They must also introduce and pass enabling legislation to add the question to the ballot in the next election.
2026 election
The majority of voters must vote “yes” on the ballot question in the general election inorder for the amendment to pass.
IMPLEMENTATION
The amendment is now the law and the practical process of carrying out, executing, and enforcing the law must be decided.
Here’s the ballot language.
Protect Reproductive Rights
Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to (i) protect the freedom to make personal decisions about prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion, miscarriage management, and fertility care; (ii) protect doctors, nurses, and patients from being punished for these decisions; and (iii) allow for restrictions on access to abortion during the third trimester of pregnancy except when the patient’s health is at risk or the pregnancy cannot survive?
VOTE YES.
Affirm Marriage Equality
Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to (i) remove the ban on same-sex marriage; (ii) affirm that two adults may marry regardless of sex, gender, or race; and (iii) require all legally valid marriages to be treated equally under the law?
VOTE YES.
Right to Vote
Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended (i) to provide for the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth, (ii) to revise the qualifications of voters so that a person convicted of a felony is not entitled to vote during his period of incarceration but is automatically invested with the right to vote upon release from incarceration, and (iii) to update the existing prohibition on voting by persons found to be mentally incompetent to instead apply to persons who have been found to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting?
VOTE YES.
Get Involved!
For these referendums to pass this fall, it is critical that we inform Virginia voters about them and their importance to our rights.
A few campaigns are already up and running and need support and volunteers.
Click on the logos below to learn more about the organizations and their campaigns.
Frequently asked questions
Democratic majorities in the House of Delegates and the State Senate have approved three questions, or referendums that, if passed will amend the Virginia Constitution to expand freedoms for Virginia’s citizens. These three amendments would 1) Protect Reproductive Freedom; 2) Affirm Marriage Equality; and 3) Restore Voting Rights for those not incarcerated for a felony. It is now up to Virginia’s citizens to approve these amendments by voting YES on each ballot question this fall.
A referendum is a question that citizens have the right to vote yes or no on. There will be three referendum questions on our ballot in Virginia this fall.
The three referendum questions will be on every ballot in Virginia this fall.
Article XII of the Virginia Constitution describes how it can be amended. A referendum to approve an amendment is the final step in a four-step amendment process.
It is harder to change the Virginia Constitution than to change a law. Putting these three amendments protecting Virginians’ freedoms into the Constitution will make it more difficult to take them away later.
No. Amending the Virginia Constitution is a multi-year, multi-step process. See “How is the Virginia Constitution Amended?” or scroll up to the “How is an Amendement Added to the Constitution?” section.
Virginia’s citizens last amended Virginia’s Constitution in 2024 to allow a property tax exemption for the spouses of soldiers. Here is a list of amendments maintained by Randolph- Macon College.
Yes. The majority of Virginians voted to amend their Constitution on April 21, 2026 to allow mid-decade changes of House of Representatives districts. The Republican-leaning Virginia Supreme Court struck down that amendment on May 8, 2026 so it is not in force.
Yes. Each of the referendum is a separate question on your ballot. You may vote Yes or No on each question individually. However, since all three referendums are Democratic Party initiatives, we hope you will vote Yes on all three.
Yes. The three referendums will be on the same Virginia ballot you will use to vote for your Senate and House of Representatives candidates. Just as for these races, you can vote on November 3, 2026 at your usual polling location, or in early voting starting September 18, 2026 at locations selected by your local voter registration office.
It is not easy to amend Virginia’s Constitution. These are the steps: 1) a proposed amendment must be passed as legislation by majority vote in the General Assembly – both the House of Delegates and the State Senate; 2) After step 1 and before step 3 there must be a general election for the House of Delegates; 3) the proposed amendment must be passed for a second time by majorities in the House of Delegates and the State Senate; 4) the proposed amendment must be placed before Virginia’s voters for their approval; if a majority of the voters approve the proposed amendment, it will become part of Virginia Constitution on a date set by the General Assembly legislation. Article XII of the Constitution describes the amendment process.
Virginia’s citizens last amended Virginia’s Constitution in 2024 to allow a property tax exemption for the spouses of soldiers. Here is a list of amendments maintained by Randolph- Macon College,
According to Webster’s Dictionary, both “referenda” and “referendums” are acceptable plurals for referendum.
You bet! Visit our r eferendum page, which we will update throughout the fall. Actually, you are on that page now.
Visit Virginians for Reproductive Freedom for more information about the Reproductive Freedom amendment.
Visit Virginians for Marriage Equality for more information about the Marriage Equality amendment.
Visit Restoring Voting Rights for more information about the amendment to Restore Voting Rights.
2026 Midterm Election Sample Ballot
