Catholics Vote No

Vote NO against two dangerous amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth.

This November, the Virginia election has two amendments on the ballot which intend to modify the Constitution of the Commonwealth regarding access to abortion and regarding marriage.

The Virginia Catholic Conference of Bishops encourages you to VOTE NO on Questions 1 and 2. Your vote will be a vote to protect human life & the truth about marriage.

Danger Hidden in Plain Sight

Both amendments are written with agreeable-sounding language. Read them once and you nod along. Read them more closely and you find terms like “every individual,” “compelling interest,” and “least restrictive means” — phrases that carry enormous weight in a constitution and almost none in ordinary conversation. The ballot questions are even more deceptive.

Pledge to Vote NO
Bishop’s Letter

Absentee Ballot: request your ballot now. Must be postmarked by election day. Learn more.
Early In-Person Voting: begins September 18 at select polling places. Early voting ends October 31. There is no application or reason required to vote early. Learn more.

Nickname: Virginia Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment

Ballot Question 1: The VCC opposes the proposed amendment that would enshrine a “fundamental right” to abortion in Virginia’s constitution. VOTE NO on Ballot Question 1.

More information

This amendment would eliminate all restrictions on abortion in Virginia and would make it a part of the Commonwealth’s Bill of Rights. Furthermore, this amendment restricts parents’ ability to make decisions regarding their own underage daughters.

Voting NO on Question 1 does not eliminate a woman’s access to abortion. Voting NO on Question 1 is a vote to maintain existing common-sense regulations.

Current state of abortion laws in Virginia

Currently, Virginia has little restriction to access abortion. It is legal through all nine months of pregnancy. This amendment eliminates common-sense regulations that exist now for the health and safety of mothers. Learn more

Ballot language vs. Amendment language

The ballot language does not reveal how the amendment would change the laws. Review the comparison here.

Nickname: Virginia Remove Constitutional Same-Sex Marriage Ban Amendment

Ballot Question 2: The VCC opposes the proposed amendment that would repeal the one-man/one-woman marriage provision in Virginia’s constitution – a provision approved by Virginia voters in 2006 with strong support by the VCC. VOTE NO on Ballot Question 2.

Current state of marriage laws in Virginia

There is no ban on same-sex marriage in Virginia, following federal law. This measure intends to repeal existing language and replace it with language embedded with transgender ideology.

Ballot language vs. Amendment language

The ballot appears to lead toward just and equal treatment of people while hiding the fact that this is a repeal-and-replace effort. The amendment in fact replaces truth with ideology that has dangerous consequences. Review the comparison here.

Negative Consequences, No Recourse

Question 1: Virginia would effectively become a sanctuary for abortion and commercial abortion businesses.

  • Basic health and safety standards that ensure women’s health would be eliminated,
  • Parents would be pushed out of life-altering decisions involving their minor children,
  • Unregulated abortions would be possible on healthy babies up to the moment of birth for any reason with no limits
  • Writing this into the Constitution would make future efforts to reinstate common sense regulations increasingly difficult.


Question 2: Virginia would replace truth with ideology in the Constitution

  • Open the door to dangerous laws that put girls’ sports and women’s safe spaces in jeopardy
  • Mislead future generations concerning the truth about marriage by adopting a false legal definition of marriage
  • Erode a public sense of marriage and a natural institution binding one man and one woman
  • Protect a growing commercial surrogacy industry which violates the natural rights of children and exploits vulnerable mothers
  1. Pray!
  2. Learn more about the issues.
  3. Pledge to Vote No at CatholicsVoteNo.com. También disponible en español.
  4. Tell your friends and family about the dangers hidden in these ballot initiatives.
  5. Make a plan to vote early. Confirm your friends and family have plans to vote too.
  6. Help us spread the word. Sign up for a shift after Sunday Masses here.
  7. Participate in the Voter Registration Drive on September 12 & 13.
    • Confirm you are registered to vote in Virginia and where to vote.
    • Applications for absentee ballots will be available.

In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation.

from the Catholic Bishops of the United States | Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility , p. 7