The League of Women Voters is nonpartisan.
We do not support or oppose any candidates or political parties.
Policy advocacy is conducted by the League of Women Voters of Virginia (LWV-VA)
and the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS).
The summary below describes the 2026 legislative priorities adopted by LWV-VA
as listed in the Virginia Voter (November 2025). It keeps the same categories
and order as the official list but adds short explanations in plain language.
(This page summarizes, in plain language, the priorities adopted by LWV-VA. For the exact wording, see the official PDF.)
A. Passing the Virginia Constitutional Amendments
- Right to Vote Amendment – The League supports adding a fundamental right to vote to the Virginia Constitution, so that voting can only be limited for narrowly defined, justified reasons and not used to suppress eligible voters.
- Reproductive Rights – The League supports adding strong protections for personal reproductive freedom, including decisions about contraception and pregnancy, to the Virginia Constitution.
- Marriage Equality – The League supports removing outdated bans and ensuring equal marriage rights for all couples under Virginia law.
B. Voting and Elections
- Right to Vote & Guardianship Adjudications – Protect the voting rights of Virginians under guardianship unless a court makes a specific finding that a person is not competent to vote.
- “Zucker-bucks” Amendment – Clarify Virginia law on private funding for election administration so any support is transparent, limited (for example through a small “de minimis” amount), and focused on conducting elections, not influencing outcomes.
- List Maintenance, Registration & E-Signatures – Keep voter rolls accurate without improper purges, allow secure e-signatures for voter registration, and create a 90-day quiet period before elections with more time for voters to respond to any cancellation notices.
- Reinstatement of Membership in ERIC – Urge the Governor to restore Virginia’s participation in the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) to help maintain accurate voter rolls and reduce duplicate registrations.
- Campaign Advertising: Synthetic Materials – Require clear disclosure when political ads use synthetic or AI-generated content so voters can tell when images, audio, or video have been digitally altered.
- National Popular Vote Interstate Compact – Join the multi-state compact that would award Virginia’s electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote for president once enough states participate.
- Ranked-Choice Voting – Allow and expand local use of ranked-choice voting (RCV) and study its impact on voter participation, representation, and campaign tone.
- Virginia Beach Charter Change – Support charter changes that improve fair local representation for Virginia Beach voters, consistent with League positions on voting rights and equitable local government.
C. Affordable Housing
- Preserve Affordable Rental Housing (Right of First Refusal) – Allow localities to create a right of first refusal so that when publicly supported multifamily rental housing is sold and its affordability period is expiring, tenants, local governments, or nonprofit housing organizations have the first chance to purchase it and keep it affordable.
- Purchase of Manufactured Home Communities – Give residents and nonprofit organizations a meaningful opportunity to purchase manufactured home “parks” before they are sold, helping families avoid sudden displacement.
- Inclusionary Zoning – Let all Virginia localities adopt inclusionary zoning programs so new development can include units that are affordable for low- and moderate-income households.
- Eviction Reform & “Pay or Quit” Extension – Extend the “pay or quit” period from 5 days back to 14 days, giving renters more time to catch up on missed payments and avoid eviction, and strengthen the Virginia Eviction Reduction Program (VERP) and other eviction-prevention efforts.
- Housing Budget Priorities – Budget amendments to increase the Virginia Housing Trust Fund, create a multi-year “5000 Families” pilot program to help very low-income families with children afford rent, and provide additional funding for VERP so more households can stay stably housed.
D. Child Care
- Child Care Assistance – Eliminate waitlists for child care subsidies and expand eligibility so more families can access safe, high-quality, affordable child care.
- Family and Medical Leave – Enact paid family and medical leave so workers can care for new children or seriously ill family members without losing their jobs or income. This priority also appears in the Health Care section.
E. Environment
- Keep the Virginia Clean Energy Act (VCEA) – Defend the 2020 Virginia Clean Energy Act and its renewable-energy and carbon-reduction requirements, which drive clean energy development, reduce pollution, and support a more sustainable economy.
- Responsible Data Center Siting and Regulation – Address the siting, energy use, water use, noise, diesel emissions, tax credits, and other impacts of large data centers to protect neighboring communities and the environment.
- Environmental Justice in Comprehensive Plans – Require local comprehensive plans to consider environmental justice and community health, including the cumulative impact of pollution on vulnerable communities.
- Study Microplastics in Drinking Water – Support scientific studies and policy responses to address microplastics in public drinking water systems.
F. Education
- Funding Equity for Students and High-Poverty Schools – Ensure fair and adequate funding for English-language learners, students with disabilities, and high-poverty schools (rural and urban), including restoring funding for Title I schools, mental-health services, counselors, and other essential supports.
- State’s Fair Share & JLARC Recommendations – Require the Commonwealth to pay its fair share of public-school costs by implementing near-term and long-term recommendations from the JLARC study, and oppose diverting public funds from public schools to private schools.
- Revenue for K–12 & Local 1% Sales Tax Options – Support sustainable new state revenues for K–12 education, including allowing localities to hold referenda on a 1% local sales tax dedicated to their public schools, and explore “fair share” tax options so those most able to pay contribute appropriately.
- Safe & Restorative Community Schools – Promote community-school models that emphasize counseling, restorative practices, and wrap-around services rather than punitive discipline, helping students feel safe, supported, and ready to learn.
- Education Funding Constitutional Amendment – Support a constitutional amendment that changes the state’s duty for public education funding from “seek to ensure” to “ensure,” making the obligation to adequately fund public education clearer and stronger.
G. Health Care
- Medicaid and SNAP Funding Stability – Protect and maintain robust funding for Medicaid and SNAP so Virginians can access health care and basic nutrition.
- Continuous Medicaid for Children 0–6 – Guarantee continuous Medicaid coverage for young children from birth through age six, reducing gaps in care during crucial developmental years.
- Support for Local DSS Offices – Increase funding for local Departments of Social Services (DSS) to improve staffing, training, and technology, so they can better serve families and process benefits efficiently.
- Virginia Marketplace Subsidies – Sustain state subsidies that help Virginians afford coverage on the Virginia health insurance marketplace, especially as federal funding levels change.
- Paid Medical Leave – Advance paid medical and family leave as a health priority as well as a worker and caregiver support, consistent with coalition efforts in Virginia.
H. Reproductive Health
- Constitutional Protection for Reproductive Freedom – Adopt a Virginia constitutional amendment that protects reproductive freedom, consistent with the broader Reproductive Rights priority.
- Right to Contraception – Guarantee equitable access to contraception so all Virginians can make their own decisions about if and when to have children.
- Shield Laws – Protect providers and patients in Virginia from out-of-state civil or criminal actions related to lawful reproductive care received or provided here.
- Insurance Coverage for Reproductive Care – Require comprehensive health-insurance coverage for reproductive health care, including contraception and abortion, consistent with state constitutional protections.
I. Domestic & Gun Violence
- Firearm Purchaser Licensing (FPL) – Create a firearm purchaser licensing system that requires prospective gun buyers to complete a background check and basic safety steps and to prove eligibility to own a firearm.
- State Office of Gun Violence Prevention & Intervention – Establish a state office to coordinate research, community programs, and violence-intervention initiatives aimed at reducing gun violence and supporting survivors.