constitutional amendment
- Virginia’s Democratic Trifecta Passes 49 Election Bills as Felony Voting Rights Head to November Ballot
Ballotpedia counts a 250 percent jump in election measures; ranked-choice voting is now permanent, Virginia joined the National Popular Vote compact, and automatic rights restoration awaits voters November 3.
- Elections Department Limits Felony Voting Bars to Murder and Manslaughter
New guidance follows a federal Readmission Act ruling and arrives days before early voting for the Nov. 3 midterms.
- Judge John Gibney Upholds Ruling That Virginia Cannot Automatically Strip Felons of Voting Rights
On Monday, a federal court reaffirmed a January ruling that found that Virginia’s current practice of disenfranchising all people with felony convictions violates post-Civil War laws that required former Confederate states to guarantee voting rights for newly emancipated Black re
- Judge affirms ruling in favor of former felons in voting rights lawsuit
Despite winning a lawsuit earlier this year that found that certain Virginians with felony convictions should not have lost their voting rights, some Virginians missed their chance to vote in congressional primary elections earlier this month. But a new ruling from U.S. District Court Judge John Gibney means that they will be able to vote […]
- Campaign to enshrine voting rights in Virginia Constitution kicks off in Norfolk
Portsmouth school board member Quniana Futrell appeared somber behind the podium in Norfolk’s Slover event space as she spoke in support of a proposal to amend Virginia’s constitution to automatically restore voting rights for people who complete felony sentences. She recalled her experience growing up with both of her parents incarcerated and said her mother […]
- Spanberger restores voting rights to more than 60,000 Felons
Gov. Abigail Spanberger has restored voting and other civil rights to more than 60,000 Felons since taking office in January, reversing the more restrictive restoration process adopted by her predecessor and reopening voting access for thousands of people with past felony convictions, her administration said Friday. The 66,085 Virginians whose rights have been restored may […]
- Virginia Localities Absorb $6.6 Million Share of Voided Election Costs by Democrats
The Virginia Department of Elections reported that the April 21 special election on a proposed constitutional amendment for redistricting cost $11,636,147 before the state Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional. The state will cover nearly $5 million of that total while localities pay the balance of about $6.6 million. Many local governments had budgeted for a […]
- Spanberger joins governors in Abortion Alliance
From support for legislation and ballot referendums to helping states stockpile abortion and miscarriage management drug mifepristone, a growing cohort of governors are banding together as the Abortion Alliance. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced Wednesday that she has joined the coalition. Members include California Gov. Gavin Newsom, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Gov. Wes Moore […]
- Virginia’s abortion amendment faces legal challenges over procedural step, language
A legal challenge to Virginia’s pending reproductive rights amendment is headed toward a hearing later this month, with potential implications for two other pending constitutional amendments. At the center of Bansley v. Nardo is an argument that the clerk of the House of Delegates, Paul Nardo, failed to send copies of the amendment to circuit […]
- ‘It’s outrageous’: Spanberger navigates budget fight, Democratic unrest six months into governorship
Back in January, Gov. Abigail Spanberger arrived in office promising pragmatism, affordability and a less combative style of politics. Fast forward a few months, and Virginia’s first woman governor finds herself navigating one of the rockiest starts to a Democratic administration in years, with budget negotiations intensifying weeks before a shutdown deadline, frustration simmering inside […]
- Republican Party of Virginia’s State Central Committee Declines to Oppose Three Proposed Constitutional Amendments
RICHMOND, Va. — The Republican Party of Virginia’s State Central Committee has voted to take no official position on three constitutional amendments that will appear on the November 2026 general election ballot. The decision has drawn criticism from within the party, including from Delegate Karen Hamilton, who argues it conflicts with the party’s platform and […]
- Hakeem Jeffries Signals Democratic Push to Reinstate Virginia’s Rejected Congressional Map for 2028
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has indicated that Democrats plan to pursue restoration of a congressional redistricting plan in Virginia that was struck down by the state’s Supreme Court, aiming for implementation ahead of the 2028 elections. The comments, made during an appearance at the Center for American Progress, come in the wake of […]
- Thousands of Virginians will regain the right to vote next month
Virginia resident Tati King, a former felon who helped lead a major lawsuit to win back his and others’ voting rights, stands outside of Virginia’s Capitol. (Photo courtesy of Phuong Tran/ACLU of Virginia) Tati Abu King, who was formerly incarcerated for a felony, has been waiting years to be able to vote again. A court […]
- US Supreme Court decision ends Virginia’s redistricting fight, reshapes 2026 races
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision late Friday to reject Virginia Democrats’ emergency appeal over congressional redistricting effectively ended any remaining effort to revive the state’s redistricting referendum, triggering a wave of Democratic campaign suspensions over the weekend and forcing both parties to quickly regroup ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Several Democrats who launched campa
- The sheer waste of Virginia’s redistricting referendum staggers the conscience
Signs encourage voters to reject or approve a proposal to give lawmakers temporary power to redraw the state’s congressional maps outside the Hanover County Government Complex, April 18, 2026. The proposal passed April 21 by a slim margin, but the state Supreme Court overturned the amendment May 8. (Photo by Samantha Willis/Virginia Mercury) Friday’s unprecedented […]
- Virginia Democrats seek emergency injunction from US Supreme Court in redistricting fight
The U.S. Supreme Court building. (Photo by Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom) Virginia Democrats on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to revive the voter-approved redistricting amendment struck down last week by the Supreme Court of Virginia, escalating the fight over the state’s congressional map to the nation’s highest court with the 2026 midterms inching closer. In […]
- FBI raids Sen. Louise Lucas’ Portsmouth office, marijuana business
State Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, on the Senate floor at the Virginia Capitol in Richmond. Federal agents on Wednesday raided Lucas’ Portsmouth office and adjacent cannabis business as part of a court-authorized FBI search operation. (Photo by Shannon Heckt/Virginia Mercury) Federal agents on Wednesday morning raided the Portsmouth office of state Sen. Louise Lucas, one […]
- Abigail Spanberger’s first 100 days are flashing a warning Virginia Democrats should not ignore
Gov. Abigail Spanberger signs bills to set referendums for four constitutional amendments on Feb. 6, 2026. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/ Virginia Mercury) Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed a package of gun bills on April 10, including a ghost gun ban, an industry liability measure and a closure of the intimate partner loophole. The bills are […]
- Early poll is sobering for Spanberger, but it’s a wake-up call, not an epitaph
Gov. Abigail Spanberger speaks with reporters outside the Executive Mansion in Richmond earlier this month. (Photo by Markus Schmidt/Virginia Mercury) The first report card on Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s still brand-new term is in, and she can’t be happy with it. I’m hearing she’s decidedly unhappy. A new survey by the Washington Post and George Mason […]
- Tazewell Circuit Court Blocks Certification of Virginia’s Redistricting Referendum, Ruling Process Unconstitutional
TAZEWELL, Va. — In a dramatic late-day ruling issued Wednesday, April 22, 2026, the Tazewell Circuit Court blocked certification of results from Tuesday’s special election on a controversial constitutional amendment aimed at allowing the Virginia General Assembly to redraw congressional districts before the next federal census. Chief Judge Jack Hurley reaffirmed earlier findings that both…
- Virginia voters back redistricting amendment after months of legal and political battles
A voter casts a ballot in the April 21 redistricting referendum at the Stonebridge Recreational Center in Chesterfield County. (Photo by Markus Schmidt/Virginia Mercury) Virginia voters on Tuesday approved a constitutional amendment allowing mid-decade congressional redistricting, a move expected to dramatically reshape the state’s political map and potentially shift its congressional delegation f
- 10 questions and answers about Virginia’s redistricting referendum
(Photo illustration by States Newsroom) Virginians will head to the polls Tuesday to approve or reject a closely watched constitutional amendment that could reshape the state’s congressional map ahead of the 2026 elections. The standalone spring referendum will cap months of legal battles, political messaging and unusually high early voting interest. The vote follows a […]
- Virginia League of Women Voters Endorses SB 58 to Increase Mail Ballot Deadlines
SB 58 aims to adapt election procedures to contemporary challenges in mail delivery. Currently, mail ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received by noon on the third day following the election. The bill would modify these parameters, potentially extending receipt hours and accounting for processing delays. Supporters, including Democratic lawmakers, contend that postal […]
- Amendment to Decide the Relevance of Moderate Voters in Virginia
Elections With Predetermined Outcomes Gerrymandering deliberately manipulates political districts to give one party an unfair structural advantage. By “packing” (concentrating certain voters) and “cracking” (diluting others), the outcome of elections can be effectively decided before a single vote is cast. Heavily engineered districts don’t just shape who wins—they shape whose voices count. The vo
- A Constitutional Change Too Far: Questions About Virginia’s Reproductive Freedom Amendment
The proposed Reproductive Freedom Amendment, currently being considered in Virginia, would create a constitutional right to abortion that is extreme, dangerous, and goes far beyond protecting women’s health and rights. Even voters who generally support abortion access should give it careful consideration. This amendment would elevate abortion rights to constitutional status in Virginia, shifting a