This fall is an important election for Virginia voters. Not only are Virginians voting for new representatives in Congress, they are also voting whether to add three important amendments to the Virginia Constitution. You might be asking yourself, “Why doesn’t Virginia pass a bunch of laws instead of going through the process of passing amendments?” By passing amendments, Virginia will have higher protection from court decisions, allowing the rights of Virginia’s citizens to stay protected under the Virginia Constitution.
Because this upcoming election is so important for Virginia, it’s important to stay informed so you know exactly what you’ll be voting for. Another reason to stay informed is that ballot language can sometimes be hard to understand. If you know what issues are being voted on beforehand, you’ll understand what you’re voting for and be able to quickly navigate your ballot. You can see the exact ballot language for the amendments on the Virginia Department of Elections website.
The amendments that Virginians can vote on will show up as three questions and you’ll vote for or against the proposed amendments. The three amendments being voted on this fall will cover reproductive rights, marriage equality, and right restoration for felons.
Question 1 on the ballot will cover reproductive rights. The first thing that usually comes to people’s minds when reproductive rights are mentioned is abortion, and they are right, that is a part of it. However, protecting reproductive freedoms doesn’t only mean protecting abortion rights. It also protects access to birth control and other forms of contraception. On your ballot, you will see it phrased as protecting “prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, miscarriage management, and fertility care.” The Reproductive Freedom Amendment will also protect doctors and healthcare officials from being persecuted for helping those who need abortion or fertility care. Virginia is the last state in the South that has yet to ban abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Question 2 will cover marriage equality. Although the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015, the Virginia Constitution still has a ban on same-sex marriage. Passing this new amendment will override the previous amendment and protect the right for people of the same sex to get married in Virginia. If the Supreme Court ever tries to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, this amendment will protect same-sex marriage in Virginia regardless.
The final amendment proposal on your ballot is question 3 on the ballot. This amendment will give civic rights to those who have been formally incarcerated. Additionally, it gives the right to vote back to people currently in prison and those who have been deemed mentally unable to. Although the amendment won’t fully give the right to vote to “persons who have been found to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting,” it will give back civic rights to others who’ve been found mentally ill.
Voting in the midterms this fall in Virginia is one of the most important things you can do. Election Day is November 3, but early voting has already started in Virginia. You can continue to vote early until October 31st. If you’d like to check your registration status, you can go to the Department of Elections website. You can check where you’re registered and what your polling location is here. Additionally, if you’re interested in updating your registration to vote in Harrisonburg, you can do that on the same website as well! Virginia also offers same-day registration, so if you’d prefer to register in person, you can go in person anytime from 6 AM to 7 PM. This year’s midterms are so important for Virginia and the United States, so make sure you go out and vote!