Virginia voters to decide whether to enshrine reproductive rights in state constitution
This Election Day, Virginians will vote on three proposed constitutional amendments. The first asks voters whether to enshrine abortion rights and other reproductive freedoms in the state constitution. Abortion is currently legal in Virginia; the only Southern state that has not enacted an abortion ban since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. The amendment would reduce the number of doctors required to sign off on a third-trimester abortion from three to one. Democratic lawmakers who supported the proposal argued that the three-doctor requirement can create an obstacle in rural communities and other healthcare deserts where physicians are scarce. Changing the state constitution is a multiyear process that began with this proposal in 2025, when the General Assembly passed the measure for the first time. The process requires a House of Delegates election between the…