Virginia, Are You Ready to Vote?

The economy is on the ballot in Virginia this year. The candidates we elect to the Governor’s and Attorney General’s offices, the General Assembly, and even our local school boards will directly shape everything from taxes and teacher pay to transportation policy and small business rules.

Virginia, home to tens of thousands of federal workers and contractors, has already suffered with devastating job cuts and now is staring down even more agency cuts based on Trump’s executive orders, hitting our state where it hurts. And it’s not just jobs on the line — with the passage of the harmful budget bill, over 100,000 Virginians could lose SNAP benefits, meaning more parents skipping meals and more kids heading to school hungry.

Virginia has made huge strides with Medicaid expansion —over 1.9 million people rely on it, including 600,000 who gained coverage under expansion. But our safety net is being pulled out from under us: 160,000 people could lose Medicaid coverage, and cuts to Medicare threaten hospitals across the state, especially in rural areas already holding on by a thread.

This is the reality we face every night at our kitchen tables. If we don’t fight back at the ballot box, we risk watching our communities and our own families suffer the consequences.

Governor Youngkin has also attacked public education, enacting policies that hurt LGBTQ+ students and make our schools less safe. Our school districts are fighting his policies and the fight won’t end just because he leaves office. They need our help! Republican candidate for Governor, Winsome Earle-Sears, supports Youngkin’s policies and will continue his extremism. We have to elect Abigail Spanberger for Governor to reverse the damage Youngkin has done and move our schools forward in the right direction.

School boards play a critical role in our kids’ education. They control the school district budget, hire the superintendent, and enact educational policy. We need to be active with our local school boards and elect school board members who support quality public education for all children.

All across Virginia there are extremists running for school board, and unfortunately, we’ve already seen what can happen if they get elected:

• More books will be pulled from classroom shelves and banned from school libraries.
• Teachers will be bullied out of teaching accurate lessons about race and history.
• The mental health crisis among students will worsen.
• Schools will lose necessary funds to keep kids safe and provide a well-rounded education.
• The potential for deadly school shootings will increase.
• Programs that set kids up for success in a global economy will end.

We cannot allow an extremist takeover of our public education system. We can prevent it by voting and getting our friends and family to vote. School board elections have a huge impact on our everyday lives and our local communities, but often, they don’t get strong voter turnout. Make sure to elect school board members that represent your values. You can learn more about some of the races below.
 

Three constitutional amendments have the chance to become ballot initiatives that we can actually vote on — but only if we defeat the extremists who want to run Virginia’s state government this November.

Reproductive Freedom Amendment
Did you know, Virginia is the last state in the south with abortion access? It’s true – and we have to do everything in our power to protect our reproductive healthcare here in the state. Virginia could finally have the chance to vote on this critical issue.

This amendment protects a woman’s right to make her own personal decisions, whether it’s about birth control, having a baby, ending a pregnancy, managing a miscarriage, or getting care after giving birth. It makes sure no one gets punished for making these choices or for helping someone get the care they need. These decisions should be between a woman and her doctor — WE decide, not politicians.

Voting Rights Restoration Amendment
Virginia is one of only two states that still prevents people from voting if they’ve previously been convicted of a felony, even after their sentence has been served. This law is a relic of the Jim Crow era and it disenfranchises close to 10% of the state’s voting-age Black residents. It’s time to end this voter suppression.

The Right to Vote — Restoration of Rights amendment would make sure that once someone has finished serving time for a felony, they automatically get their right to vote back—no extra steps. And it ensures that people under guardianship don’t lose their right to vote. Everyone deserves a voice in our democracy and this helps make that real.

Marriage Equality Amendment
Our state constitution does not reflect the fact that the majority of Virginians agree — same-sex couples should have the same rights as heterosexual married couples.

This amendment would remove outdated language from Virginia’s Constitution that bans same-sex marriage and replace it with a simple truth: marriage is a right for any two people who love each other. No matter what happens at the national level, this ensures Virginia respects and protects marriage equality.

Gun violence is now the leading cause of death for children and teens, and Virginia ranks among the highest in the nation for gun-related domestic violence deaths. These aren’t just statistics—this crisis is touching families from every corner of the Commonwealth, from daily school lockdowns to the trauma of community shootings and the heartbreak of domestic violence fueled by easy access to guns.

Black Virginians, and particularly young Black men, bear a devastating and disproportionate share of this violence, facing gun homicide rates nearly three times higher than their white neighbors. Gun violence doesn’t just leave physical scars—it takes a massive toll on our mental health.

It also hits our wallets: gun violence costs Virginians over $14 billion each year—about $1,650 per person—with taxpayers footing hundreds of millions for healthcare, law enforcement, and lost productivity. Cities like Portsmouth now endure the highest firearm death rates in the state, and urban areas—Hampton Roads, Richmond, Norfolk—are overwhelmed by stolen guns.

We need common-sense leaders in the General Assembly, in the Governor and Lt. Governor’s office, and the Attorney General’s office in order to turn this around and protect our community.

1. Go to www.elections.virginia.gov/citizen-portal
2. Scroll down and hit “Go”
3. Enter your name, birthday, last 4 of your SSN, and your locality
4. Check the certification box and your voter record should pop up!

If nothing shows up and you know you’re registered, don’t panic. Just reach out to your local registrar: www.elections.virginia.gov/LocalGR.

• Apply online to get your absentee ballot sent to you.
• Paper applications are available too! (check the forms page)
• Military and overseas voters—there’s a special section just for you.

Already requested your ballot? You can track it using Ballot Scout.

All localities offer early voting. For all early voting and ballot dropbox information, contact the general registrar’s office.

• Early voting for the Sept. 9, 2025, 11th Congressional District special election begins July 25. The last day to vote early is Sept. 6.
• Early voting for the Nov. 4, 2025, general election begins Sept. 19. The last day to vote early is Nov. 1.

Check your early vote locations here: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/early-voting-office-locations/

• Polling places are open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.  Anyone in line at 7:00 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
• In Virginia, you’ve got two options when you vote:
  • Bring a valid ID or Sign an ID Confirmation Statement.
• That’s it! No ID? No problem, you can still vote. But if you’d rather not sign, you’ll vote using a provisional ballot. Then you’ll have until noon the Friday after Election Day to follow up with your local election office (either by showing ID or signing the confirmation statement) to make sure your vote counts.
• This rule applies whether you’re voting early at your local registrar’s office, a satellite location, or on Election Day, so be prepared!
• Need to find your polling place or more info on early voting? Find your voting location.
• Review the list of Acceptable Forms of Voter Identification– (Español), (???), (Ti?ng Vi?t)

If you’re serving in the military or living abroad, you can vote in Virginia elections and we want to make sure you know how. Virginia offers specific options to help military members and overseas citizens register and vote absentee. Eligible voters can use the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to both register and request an absentee ballot. You may also use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) as a backup if your official ballot doesn’t arrive in time.

To get started and access all the necessary forms and instructions, visit: Virginia Military & Overseas Voting.

School board members may not grab headlines like governors or Congress members, but their decisions shape the future of your schools and your children’s education. When election time comes around, don’t skip this box on your ballot. These elections are often decided by razor-thin margins, and your vote has the power to influence local education for years to come. Are there school board elections in your district this year? Check here.

Abigail Spanberger

Winsome Earle-Sears

John Reid

Jason Miyares

Josh Thomas

Gregory Lee Gorham

Elizabeth Guzmán

Ian Lovejoy

John Chilton McAuliff

Geary Higgins

Donna M Littlepage

Joe McNamara

Lily Franklin

Chris Obenshain

May Nivar

David Owen

Stacey Annie Carroll

Paul Milde

Joshua Cole

Sean Steinway

Nicole Cole

Bobby Orrock

Mark Downey

Chad Green

Jessica Anderson

Amanda Batten

Leslie Mehta

Mark Earley Jr

Lindsey Dougherty

Carrie Coyner

Kimberly Pope Adams

Kim Taylor

Mary Person

Otto Wachsmann

Nadarius Clark

Felisha Rose Leffler Storm

Virgil Gene Thornton Sr.

A.C. Cordoza

Karen (Kacey) Robins Carnegie

Mike Lamonea

Michael Feggans

Tim Anderson

Cat Porterfield

Anne Ferrell Tata

Liz Richardson

Rob Bloxom Jr.

Stewart Whitson

VOTE YES