Three proposed state constitutional amendments will be on the ballot. All 3 are not transparent and intend to obscure their meanings and legal consequences. A NO VOTE ON ALL 3 IS RECOMMENDED.

Note: The amendment translations below were submitted by Lisa Callanan. 

• Question 1: Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to (i) protect the freedom to make personal decisions about prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion, miscarriage management, and fertility care; (ii) protect doctors, nurses, and patients from being punished for these decisions; and (iii) allow for restrictions on access to abortion during the third trimester of pregnancy except when the patient's health is at risk or the pregnancy cannot survive?

Translation: This amendment creates a constitutional right to abortion for everyone, including minors. It allows one physician (instead of the current 3) to determine if the pregnancy may affect the physical or mental health of the mother in the third trimester. A baby may need to be delivered early and cared for but does not need to be killed to save the life of the mother. It protects individuals who aid or assist someone to have an abortion, limiting malpractice. Finally, this proposition will block laws that mandate abortionists screen for statutory rape and sex trafficking, putting girls at risk.

• Question 2: Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to (i) remove the ban on same-sex marriage; (ii) affirm that two adults may marry regardless of sex, gender, or race; and (iii) require all legally valid marriages to be treated equally under the law?

Translation: This amendment removes the constitutional ban on same-sex marriage; however, interracial and same-sex marriage are already legal in Virginia. It affirms that two adults may marry regardless of sex, race, or gender. This separates sex and gender for the first time and creates gender as a protected class, which means men in women’s sports and locker rooms. There are no exemptions for religious organizations or individuals with religious objections.

• Question 3: Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended (i) to provide for the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth, (ii) to revise the qualifications of voters so that a person convicted of a felony is not entitled to vote during his period of incarceration but is automatically invested with the right to vote upon release from incarceration, and (iii) to update the existing prohibition on voting by persons found to be mentally incompetent to instead apply to persons who have been found to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting?

Translation: A person convicted of a felony would be able to vote automatically upon release from prison with no waiting period or additional requirements, and it lowers the standard for mental competency, making it easier for people to be deemed qualified to vote. There is already a system in place to restore rights to those who have earned it. This privilege should not be automatic.