Spanberger signs bills to send constitutional amendments to voters this year
Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed bills to set a referendum for four constitutional amendments — some of which have been years in the making — officially sending them to Virginians to weigh in on this year.
The first three amendments, if approved by voters this November, will protect reproductive rights and same-sex marriages and allow people with felony convictions who have completed their sentences to automatically have their voting rights restored. The amendments were a campaign promise for Spanberger and Democrats, who gained majorities in the legislature in the 2023 and 2025 elections.
The fourth amendment, which has drawn both praise and condemnation, would allow a mid-decade redistricting of the state’s congressional maps.
Leading Democrats said this week the effort is necessary to “level the playing field,” after President Donald Trump prompted states to redraw their maps in ways that tilt favor towards Republicans. Democratic-led states like California, and now Virginia, have countered with their own processes. Republicans have denounced it as partisan gerrymandering that flouts democratic principles.
https://virginiamercury.com/2026/02/06/spanberger-signs-bills-to-send-constitutional-amendments-to-voters-this-year/
