"The amendment would protect our freedom in Virginia to make reproductive health care decisions without fear of government interference or criminal punishment. It amends the state constitution to ensure we can make our own decisions around reproductive health care, from contraception to childbirth.  

Right now, the Virginia Constitution does not recognize the right to reproductive health care, which means that politicians have the ability to restrict or ban certain reproductive health care. Vote YES on 1 to protect the freedom to make reproductive health care decisions and ensure the government cannot interfere." - Virginians for Reproductive Freedom  

"A constitutional amendment is our pathway to securing the right to abortion, birth control, and a range of reproductive healthcare needs, and preventing political intrusion into our personal lives and decisions. By placing this amendment in the hands of voters, we can ensure that politicians cannot revoke or establish barriers to these fundamental human rights. 

Being able to decide if, when, how, and with whom to start or grow our families is essential to charting our own course for our futures and building strong communities. Reproductive freedom is an economic, health equity, and racial and gender justice issue. 

"Virginia is the last state in the South with a real opportunity to safeguard reproductive freedom through a constitutional amendment. 

The Reproductive Freedom Constitutional Amendment would protect the fundamental rights of Virginians by ensuring that politicians cannot ban or restrict essential reproductive health care, including abortion, birth control, and in vitro fertilization (IVF). 

The amendment will appear on the November 2026 general election ballot. If voters approve it, the Virginia Constitution will be updated to affirm that every person has a fundamental right to reproductive freedom — including decisions about prenatal care, childbirth, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and fertility treatment." - Planned Parenthood Votes South Atlantic 

"Vote YES to put the right to access reproductive healthcare directly into Virginia’s constitution.  

Abortion is legal in Virginia – but that could change with the swipe of a politician’s pen. 

Ballot Amendment #1 will put power directly in the hands of the people to choose whether Virginians can make their own, private decisions about their reproductive healthcare. 

Virginia is the last state in the South without severe restrictions or an outright ban on abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. 

This November, Virginians can protect our access to reproductive healthcare from politics by voting YES on #1." - ACLU of Virginia 

"This Amendment Would... 

• Establish abortion as a fundamental right in Virginia, superseding current law and likely preventing any future law or regulation on abortion in our state 

• Threaten the health and safety of women by allowing unregulated abortions to be performed by unlicensed providers at any time, even up to birth at term 

• Remove the requirement for parental consent for a minor’s abortion 

• Permit abortion to be performed in the third trimester for maternal indications such as anxiety and depression.” - Virginia Medical Professionals for Women's Safety   

"This radical amendment goes far beyond even what Roe v. Wade previously allowed. It would enshrine virtually unlimited abortion at any stage of pregnancy, with no age restriction. Among numerous other problems, it would severely jeopardize Virginia’s parental consent law, conscience protections for healthcare providers, health and safety standards for women, and restrictions on taxpayer-funded abortions. Most tragically of all, the extreme abortion amendment provides no protections whatsoever for preborn children.  

Parental rights must be defended. So too must religious liberty. No one should ever be forced to pay for or participate in an abortion. Health and safety should be enhanced, not diminished. Most importantly, human life is sacred. The lives of vulnerable women and their preborn children must always be welcomed, cared for, and protected." - Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of Arlington, Barry C. Knestout, Bishop of Richmond

Eliminate the right of parents to know about or consent to their young child’s invasive abortion surgery. 

Because the right to “fertility care” includes sterilization procedures and is not just given to adults, children will have a right to gender transitions without adult interference.

Eliminates the state’s ability to penalize or regulate individuals aiding “reproductive freedom,” potentially reducing oversight, accountability and liability for harm done to the woman.

Infants born alive after an abortion attempt would not be clearly guaranteed reasonable, life-saving care.

Long-standing safety regulations designed to protect women’s health could be challenged and struck down. 

Abortion could be permitted up to the moment of birth even for mental health reasons." - The Family Foundation   

"If enacted, HJ1/SJ247 would: 

• Remove the basic rights of parents. Parents would no longer need to be informed or provide consent for their underage daughter to undergo an abortion or a so-called “sex-change” surgery. 

• Protect rapists, traffickers, and abusers. By protecting third parties who “aid” or “assist” abortions, it eliminates guardrails protecting underage women from being pressured or coerced to get an abortion. 

• Prevent reasonable health and safety standards. It would prevent basic health and safety standards for abortions. 

• Force taxpayers to fund abortions. Courts across the country have required taxpayer funding of abortions because of language like Virginia’s amendment. 

• Legalize painful, late-term abortions. A massive loophole would allow abortions when babies can feel pain, right up until the moment of birth. Allowing abortions when “medically indicated to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual” would make it effectively impossible to enforce any protections at any time during a pregnancy." - Heritage Action