Abortion could appear on Virginia’s statewide ballot in 2026 if Democrats hold on to their razor-thin House majority in this November’s election.
On Jan. 14, the General Assembly narrowly approved the first of two required votes on a proposed amendment that would enshrine so-called “reproductive freedom” in the state constitution, CatholicVote reported. Lawmakers must approve the measure again during the 2026 session before it can go before voters.
According to Ballotpedia, Democrats currently hold a slim 51-49 majority in the House, which they regained from Republicans in 2023. While the general election is set for Nov. 4, early in-person voting begins Sept. 19. All 100 seats of the House are up for election.
The amendment would add a section to the Virginia Constitution declaring that “every individual has a fundamental right to reproductive freedom,” including the ability to “make and effectuate one’s own decision about all matters related to one’s pregnancy.”
If Democrats keep control, they are expected to advance the amendment again in the 2026 legislative session, clearing the way for it to appear before voters in the general election, Virginia Mercury reported.
Pro-life leaders warn the measure would effectively legalize abortion on demand.
Students for Life President Kristan Hawkins said in an Aug. 28 X post that the amendment would permit abortion through all nine months of pregnancy and eliminate parental consent protections.
David Bereit, director of the Life Leadership Conference, called the proposal a “life-or-death threat” to the state.
“Virginia is facing right now a life-or-death threat, and is ground zero in the pro-life movement. A dangerous constitutional amendment is rapidly moving forward that would impose unrestricted abortion through all nine months of pregnancy,” Bereit said, according to Virginia’s public radio station WVTF.
He warned it would “strip away protections for women and pre-born children, and it would gut parental rights.”
Virginia law currently permits most abortions up to about 26 weeks of pregnancy. After that point, abortion is only allowed if three physicians agree that keeping the baby would cause the mother’s death or “substantially and irremediably impair the mental or physical health of the woman.”
Hawkins said Students for Life is mobilizing young pro-lifers to canvass college campuses and neighborhoods across Virginia to rally support for Republican candidates and block the abortion amendment.
“We’ve made a concerted effort this year, especially in Virginia, to be on college campuses,” Hawkins said, WVTF reported. “This generation of young people are not as pro-abortion as Planned Parenthood wants you to believe they are.”
Planned Parenthood Executive Director Jamie Lockhart said her group is also canvassing voters about the amendment and accused pro-lifers of “frankly lying about what the amendment does,” according to the outlet.
Lawmakers are also considering constitutional amendments to restore voting rights for felons and repeal the state’s ban on same-sex marriage.
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Author: Elise Winland
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