09/27/2026
3 PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS:
For the November 3, 2026 Virginia election, there are three proposed amendments to the Virginia Constitution. I’ll translate the ballot language into plain, roughly sixth-grade reading level without telling you how to vote. The official ballot questions and amendment texts come from Virginia election and legislative sources.
Amendment 1 — Reproductive Freedom
What the ballot says, in simpler words:
This amendment would add a constitutional right to make personal decisions about:
Pregnancy and prenatal care
Giving birth
Care after childbirth
Birth control
Abortion
Miscarriage care
Fertility treatment
It would also protect patients and medical providers from being punished for making or helping with these decisions.
What about abortion later in pregnancy?
The amendment would allow Virginia to place restrictions on abortions during the third trimester.
However, Virginia could not prohibit an abortion when:
A doctor believes it is medically needed to protect the pregnant person's life or physical or mental health, or
A doctor believes the fetus cannot survive.
The actual amendment says the state could regulate third-trimester abortion, but those two situations would be protected.
In sixth-grade language:
"People would have a constitutional right to make their own decisions about pregnancy, childbirth, birth control, abortion, miscarriage care, and fertility care. The government generally could not interfere with those decisions. Virginia could regulate abortion during the third trimester, but could not ban an abortion when a doctor says it is needed to protect the patient's life or health, or when the fetus cannot survive."
Amendment 2 — Marriage
What it would change
Virginia's Constitution currently contains old language that says marriage is limited to a man and a woman.
This amendment would remove that language.
It would instead say that:
Marriage is an important personal right.
Two adults can marry.
Virginia cannot refuse a marriage license because of the people's s*x, gender, or race.
Virginia must recognize lawful marriages.
Lawful marriages must be treated equally under Virginia law.
The proposed language specifically replaces the existing marriage restrictions.
In sixth-grade language:
"Two adults can get married regardless of whether they are male or female, their gender, or their race. Virginia must recognize their lawful marriage and treat married couples equally under the law."
Why is this on the ballot?
This is partly about removing language from Virginia's Constitution that currently bans recognition of same-s*x marriage, even though that ban is not currently enforceable because of federal constitutional law and court decisions.
The proposed amendment would update the Virginia Constitution itself to reflect the new language.
Amendment 3 — Voting Rights
This amendment changes several rules about who has the constitutional right to vote.
First: It would call voting a "fundamental right."
The Constitution would say that people who meet the requirements have a fundamental right to vote.
Second: People convicted of felonies
Under the proposed amendment:
A person convicted of a felony could not vote while incarcerated for that felony.
Once the person is released from incarceration, voting rights would automatically return.
The person would not need the Governor to restore their voting rights.
This is a major change in how Virginia's Constitution describes voting rights after a felony conviction.
Third: People who cannot understand voting
The current Constitution uses the term "mentally incompetent."
The amendment would replace that wording.
Under the new language, a person could be prevented from voting only if a court finds that the person does not have the capacity to understand the act of voting.
In sixth-grade language:
"Voting would be a fundamental right. A person convicted of a felony could not vote while in prison for that felony. Once released from prison, the person's voting rights would automatically come back. A court could restrict someone's voting only when the court finds that the person cannot understand what voting is."
The three amendments side-by-side
Amendment What it would change Plain-English version
1. Reproductive Freedom Adds constitutional protections concerning pregnancy and reproductive care People would have constitutional protection for decisions about pregnancy, birth control, abortion, miscarriage care and fertility care.
2. Marriage Removes the old constitutional marriage restriction and establishes equal recognition of lawful marriages between two adults Two adults could marry regardless of s*x, gender, or race, and lawful marriages would have to be treated equally.
3. Voting Rights Changes constitutional voting rights, felony voting rules, and the language concerning voting capacity People could not vote while imprisoned for a felony, but voting rights would automatically return upon release. Voting restrictions based on incapacity would use a more specific standard.
One important point
These are constitutional amendments, not ordinary laws. If approved by the voters, the changes become part of the Virginia Constitution. All three are scheduled to take effect January 1, 2027, if approved by a majority of voters voting on the respective amendment.
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