RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia voters approved three new constitutional amendments at the ballot box on Tuesday, according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections. They will guarantee Virginians access to abortion, automatically restore voting rights for felons and remove the state's defunct ban on same-sex marriage.
The reproductive rights amendment, Question 1, received 62.39 percent of votes statewide with all 133 localities reporting. It states that "every individual has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including the ability to make and carry out decisions relating to one's own prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and fertility care."
The amendment says abortion restrictions would be allowed in the third trimester of pregnancy except when the patient's life is at risk or the pregnancy is not viable. It will also reduce the number of physicians needed to sign off on a third-trimester abortion from three to one.
In a statement after the results, Gov. Abigail Spanberger said Virginia is the only state in the South that hasn't restricted abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The amendment was sponsored by House of Delegates Majority Leader Charniele Herring.
The voting rights amendment, sponsored by Sen. Mamie Locke, automatically restores voting rights to individuals incarcerated for a felony conviction. The electoral result marked the final step in a two-year process of amending the Constitution of Virginia, which began with passing the bills for each amendment twice before they could become ballot referendums.
Vote totals are not final, as provisional ballots and mail ballots postmarked by November 3 and received by noon on November 6 may be counted. Opponents have already filed suits seeking to block certification of Virginia's result, with a November 13 hearing scheduled.
