Virginia Voting Rights Restoration for Felons Upon Release Amendment (2026)

Virginia Voting Rights Restoration for Felons Upon Release Amendment
Election date November 3, 2026
Topic Suffrage
Status Proposed
Type Constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

The Virginia Voting Rights Restoration for Felons Upon Release Amendment may appear on the ballot in Virginia as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 3, 2026.

This measure would amend the Virginia Constitution to provide that felons will be entitled to vote following release from incarceration.

Text of measure

Full text

The full text of the ballot measure is available here.

Support

Supporters

Officials

• State Sen. Mamie Locke (D)
• State Sen. Scott Surovell (D)

Arguments

• State Sen. Mamie Locke (D-23): "This amendment is about ensuring that every eligible Virginian has their voice heard at the ballot box. Our democracy is strongest when everyone participates, and this measure ensures that no Virginian is unjustly excluded from the electoral process. By reinforcing these protections in our constitution, we are safeguarding the fundamental rights of our citizens and strengthening the integrity of our democracy."
• LaTwyla Mathias, executive director at Progress Virginia: "Most of the states in this country recognize that when someone has paid their debt to society, they return to the community as full citizens, which includes the right to make their voices heard at the ballot box. Virginia has been a throwback for too many years; our current process is about political gamesmanship and partisan point-scoring far more than it is about enfranchising returning citizens. Denying entire classes of citizens the right to vote is a racist vestige of Jim Crow-era laws, and Virginia legislators need to leave this practice in the past."

Opposition

Opponents

Candidates

• John Reid (R) - Lt. Gov. Nominee

Arguments

You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls and 2026 ballot measure polls

Virginia Voting Rights Restoration for Felons Upon Release Amendment (2026)

Poll	Dates	Sample size	Margin of error	Support	Oppose	Undecided
The Wason Center Question "Would you support or oppose amending Virginia's constitution to allow felons that have completed their prison sentence to have their voting rights automatically restored upon release?"	Jan. 6, 2025–Jan. 13, 2025	806 RV	± 3.60%	63.0%	32.0%	6.0%
Note: LV is likely voters, RV is registered voters, and EV is eligible voters.

Path to the ballot

Amending the Virginia Constitution

See also: Amending the Virginia Constitution

A simple majority vote is required during two successive legislative sessions for the Virginia General Assembly to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 51 votes in the Virginia House of Delegates and 21 votes in the Virginia State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

Two versions of the amendment were introduced in the House and Senate: Senate Joint Resolution 248 and House Joint Resolution 2.

Senate Joint Resolution 248

The amendment was introduced as Senate Joint Resolution 248 to the State Senate on November 25, 2024. On January 21, 2025, the amendment passed the Senate by 21-18. The House passed SJR 248 on February 13, 2025, in a vote of 55-42.

Vote in the Virginia State Senate January 21, 2025
Requirement: Simple majority vote of all members in each chamber in two sessions
Number of yes votes required: 20  a
	Yes	No	Not voting
Total	21	18	1
Total percent	52.5%	45%	2.5%
Democrat	21	0	0
Republican	0	18	1

Vote in the Virginia House of Delegates February 13, 2025
Requirement: Simple majority vote of all members in each chamber in two sessions
Number of yes votes required: 51  a
	Yes	No	Not voting
Total	55	42	3
Total percent	55.00%	42.00%	3.00%
Democrat	51	0	0
Republican	4	42	3

House Joint Resolution 2

The amendment was introduced as House Joint Resolution 2 to the State House on November 20, 2024. On January 14, 2025, the amendment passed the House by 55-44. On January 31, the Senate agreed to the amendment by 21-18.

Vote in the Virginia House of Delegates January 14, 2025
Requirement: Simple majority vote of all members in each chamber in two sessions
Number of yes votes required: 51  a
	Yes	No	Not voting
Total	55	44	1
Total percent	55%	44%	1%
Democrat	51	0	0
Republican	4	44	1

Vote in the Virginia State Senate January 31, 2025
Requirement: Simple majority vote of all members in each chamber in two sessions
Number of yes votes required: 20  a
	Yes	No	Not voting
Total	21	18	1
Total percent	52.50%	45.00%	2.50%
Democrat	21	0	0
Republican	0	18	1

Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2025

See also: Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2025

Democrats expanded their majority in the Virginia House of Delegates on November 4, 2025, gaining 13 seats. Twelve Republican incumbents lost in Virginia, tying 2017 for the most incumbents defeated since 2011. Heading into the 2025 elections, Democrats had a 51-49 majority in the House.

See also

2026 measures

• 2026 ballot measures
• Suffrage on the ballot

Virginia

• Virginia ballot measures
• Virginia ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• SJR 248 (2026)

Footnotes

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