Virginia voters enshrine abortion rights in state constitution

Virginia voters approved a ballot measure amending the state constitution to establish a "fundamental right to reproductive freedom," including abortion access. The amendment passed on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The measure guarantees the right to abortion during the first two trimesters of pregnancy. It permits government regulation in the third trimester while still allowing abortions to protect the life and health of the pregnant woman, and it also establishes rights to contraception and fertility care. The vote follows the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision overturning the nationwide right to abortion. Since then, voters in more than one-fifth of states have passed similar ballot measures protecting abortion rights.