The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act has passed the U.S. House and could be taken up by the Senate at any time. The bill would require additional documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote—even though it is already illegal for non-citizens to vote and states already have systems in place to verify voter eligibility and maintain accurate voter rolls.

The League of Women Voters opposes the SAVE Act because it would create new barriers to voting, particularly for voters of color, naturalized citizens, older voters, and others who may not have ready access to specific documents. Our democracy is strongest when every eligible voter can participate freely and fairly.

Make your voice heard. Tell your U.S. Senators to oppose the SAVE Act: Take action with the League →

Local election offices are facing a critical shortage of Election Officers (poll workers) across the Commonwealth and nationwide. Williamsburg, James City County, and York County all need dependable, community-minded volunteers to serve during early voting shifts and on Election Day. These are paid positions.

If you can help—even for just one shift—this is one of the most direct ways to support smooth, accurate, and well-run elections. Learn more and apply here: Election Officer application →

Please consider volunteering—and feel free to share this opportunity with friends, neighbors, students, and retirees who may be interested.

Voting by mail is a safe, secure, and accessible option that has been used in the United States for more than 150 years. On Dec. 24, 2025, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) published revisions to the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) about postmarks, prompting questions about whether this could affect mail-in voting.

USPS has confirmed there were no changes to any USPS policy related to the treatment and delivery of Ballot Mail. It is longstanding USPS practice to treat Ballot Mail as First-Class Mail, regardless of the postage class paid, and to endeavor to postmark every return ballot mailed by a voter.

Why this matters in Virginia: Virginia is among the states where mailed ballots may be counted after Election Day if they are postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the state deadline. In Virginia, that deadline is currently 12:00 noon on the 3rd day after Election Day (the League supports legislation to extend this deadline to 5:00 p.m.).

Consolidation of mail processing centers across the country makes it more common that postmarks may not necessarily reflect the date USPS took possession of a mail piece. Richmond has experienced this problem.

What voters should do: USPS recommends that voters who plan to vote by mail send their ballots 7–10 days before Election Day (or at least one week before the final receipt date in states with post-Election Day deadlines).

• If you want to ensure your ballot is postmarked the day USPS receives it, you may request a manual postmark at any USPS retail location free of charge.
• You can also use the drop box at your main Office of Elections (if available).

Credit: Patricia Wirth, President, League of Women Voters of the Northern Shenandoah Valley.

On Feb. 6, 2026, Governor Abigail Spanberger signed legislation advancing three proposed constitutional amendments to the November 3, 2026 ballot. In plain language, these measures would:

• Restore voting rights automatically for Virginians with felony convictions once they have completed their sentence, replacing today’s system that requires individuals to seek restoration through the governor (and has varied over time).
• Protect marriage equality by removing Virginia’s outdated constitutional language and ensuring equal treatment of a legal marriage between two adults under state law.
• Protect reproductive freedom by adding constitutional protections for personal reproductive health care decisions, including contraception, fertility care, and abortion care (including medication used in miscarriage management).

The League of Women Voters of Virginia officially supports passage of all three amendments. These proposals would create clear, statewide constitutional protections and consistent rules that apply across administrations.

Read more: Virginia Mercury summary →  |  LWV-VA Legislative Priorities (Constitutional Amendments) →

Virginia voters may be asked to weigh in on a proposed constitutional amendment related to congressional redistricting. Under current plans, there would be a statewide referendum on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. The proposal would create a temporary, limited option for the General Assembly to redraw Virginia’s U.S. House district lines outside the normal 10-year census cycle, with the authority expiring in 2030.

If the referendum proceeds, voters would decide whether to keep the current congressional district lines or allow a new set of districts to be adopted for the 2026 cycle. That could affect which U.S. House district you vote in—and which candidates appear on your ballot—for the Tuesday, June 16, 2026 primary and the Tuesday, November 3, 2026 general election. Proposed maps (with an address look-up tool) are available at: VPAP Redistricting 2026 →

Important: the April 21 referendum is currently tied up in litigation about the amendment process, and the outcome on appeal will determine whether the referendum moves forward as scheduled.

Related note: Governor Abigail Spanberger has signed bills to send four proposed constitutional amendments to voters in 2026. Under the current plan, the redistricting question would be the only item on the April 21 special election ballot; three other proposed amendments would be considered during the November 3 general election.

The Virginia General Assembly is considering Senate Bill 783 (SB783), which would set required safeguards for any 287(g) agreements—formal agreements that can authorize Virginia law-enforcement agencies to perform certain federal immigration-enforcement functions in cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

In the bill’s current form, an agency could not maintain or enter a 287(g) agreement unless the agreement includes provisions such as: advance notice of ICE agents involved, clear ICE identification (without “police” markings), no immigration enforcement activity on the property of schools, faith-based organizations, or courthouses, limits on broad information demands, and a requirement that ICE requests about a person’s immigration/citizenship status be tied to a valid judicial warrant or subpoena. Existing agreements would have to be updated to comply by Sept. 1, 2026, or they would become void.

• Rapid expansion: In the last 12 months, Virginia has gone from 0 to 32 formal 287(g) agreements.
• Most are “Task Force Model”: The fact sheet notes 78% are Task Force Model agreements—an approach previously discontinued by DHS due to concerns about racial profiling and later revived.
• Sharp rise in civil-immigration arrests: The fact sheet reports civil-immigration arrests in Virginia increased by 320% in 2025 vs. 2024, with 56% of arrests targeting people who weren’t suspected of any crime.
• Public-safety focus: SB783 is framed as a way to keep Virginia law enforcement focused on local public safety, preserve local resources, and reduce the risk of agencies being drawn into reckless or unlawful tactics.

The League of Women Voters of Virginia is tracking SB783. (Check LWV-VA updates for any official position as the bill moves.)

Learn more:
Official (Virginia LIS): Bill details & status →   |   Latest bill text (Substitute S1) →
Alternate (non-governmental source): Read bill text →   |   See status & votes →

Status note (as of Jan. 30, 2026): SB783 was reported from Senate Courts of Justice with a substitute and rereferred to Senate Finance & Appropriations (committee vote: 9–6).

February is Black History Month (also known as African American History Month). In our area, you can explore Black history, art, and storytelling through several local programs. The Virginia Black Film Festival → features film screenings and related events. Jamestown Settlement’s 2026 Black Artist Showcase → highlights contemporary Virginia artists in an exhibit running Feb 1–Mar 29, 2026. And Colonial Williamsburg’s Black History Month calendar → lists February programs and activities across the Historic Area.

Consider bringing a friend or family member—these events are a meaningful way to learn, reflect, and support local cultural programming.

Black History Month traces back to 1915, when historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded the organization now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). In 1926, Woodson launched the first Negro History Week in February—timed to include the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, dates already honored in many Black communities.

Over time, the commemoration expanded beyond a week; by 1976 it grew into Black History Month, with continued national recognition in subsequent years.

Source: Library of Congress overview of Black History Month

March is Women’s History Month, and the League of Women Voters of Williamsburg Area has created a special display at the Williamsburg Regional Library (Scotland Street) in the theater lobby. Stop by anytime in March to view photos, memorabilia, and highlights featuring women who helped launch the national League in 1920—as well as those connected to the founding of our local Williamsburg Area League in 1963.

Women’s History Month began as a grassroots effort: in 1978, community leaders in Santa Rosa, California organized a “Women’s History Week” timed to include International Women’s Day (March 8). The idea spread nationwide, and in 1980 President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamation recognizing National Women’s History Week.

We hope you’ll take a few minutes to explore the exhibit and reflect on the long, ongoing story of women’s leadership in American democracy.

Want to get involved and be ready with signs? Help create posters at the NO KINGS 3 Poster-Making Party: Sunday, March 8 • 2:00–5:00 p.m. at JCC Rec, 5301 Longhill Rd. Please bring your own supplies (only limited supplies will be available). If you plan to use Indivisible’s supplies, please consider making a $5 donation.

Saturday, March 28 • 2:00 p.m. — Join the community outside the WJCC Courthouse for NO KINGS 3, a peaceful public gathering hosted by Williamsburg–JCC Indivisible. The League of Women Voters is a recognized partner of Indivisible; LWV members who attend may wear League pins and/or clothing. If you are identifying as a League member, please remember to keep any signs strictly nonpartisan (no candidate or party references).

All are welcome—come for all or part of the events, bring a friend, and help spread the word.

Read about your Local School Board. Latest report: School Board Meeting on Jan 6, 2026 →

The League of Women Voters is nonpartisan (no candidates or parties), but we do advocate for policies aligned with our positions. Below is a condensed, plain-language snapshot of LWV-VA’s 2026 priorities. ✅ = support   ⛔ = oppose

A. Constitutional Amendments

• ✅ Right to Vote: add a fundamental right-to-vote protection to the Virginia Constitution.
• ✅ Reproductive Rights: protect personal reproductive freedom (including contraception and pregnancy-related care) in the Constitution.
• ✅ Marriage Equality: remove outdated bans and guarantee equal marriage rights in Virginia law.

B. Voting & Elections

• ✅ Guardianship: preserve voting rights unless a court specifically finds a person not competent to vote.
• ✅ “Zucker-bucks” rules: set clear limits/guardrails for private election-admin funding (transparent, de minimis, for “conduct of elections”).
• ✅ Registration & list maintenance: accurate rolls without improper purges; e-signatures; 90-day “quiet period” before elections with more time to respond to notices.
• ✅ Rejoin ERIC: restore Virginia’s membership to reduce duplicates and improve roll accuracy.
• ✅ AI/synthetic political ads: require disclosure when images/audio/video are digitally altered.
• ✅ National Popular Vote compact: join the multi-state effort once enough states participate.
• ✅ Ranked-choice voting: allow/expand local use and study impacts.
• ✅ Virginia Beach charter: support changes that improve fair local representation.

C. Affordable Housing

• ✅ Right of first refusal: tools to preserve affordable multifamily rentals when affordability periods expire.
• ✅ Manufactured home communities: give residents/nonprofits/localities a real chance to purchase before sale to prevent displacement.
• ✅ Inclusionary zoning: allow all localities to adopt programs that include affordable units in new development.
• ✅ Eviction prevention: extend “pay or quit” back to 14 days and strengthen VERP/other prevention supports.
• ✅ Housing budget priorities: increase Housing Trust Fund, fund “5000 Families,” and boost VERP.

D. Child Care

• ✅ Child care assistance: eliminate waitlists and expand eligibility for subsidies.
• ✅ Paid family & medical leave: protect workers caring for a new child or serious illness.

E. Environment

• ✅ Keep VCEA: defend Virginia Clean Energy Act requirements.
• ✅ Data centers: responsible siting/regulation (energy, water, noise, diesel, tax impacts).
• ✅ Environmental justice: include EJ/community health in comprehensive plans.
• ✅ Microplastics: study and respond to microplastics in drinking water.

F. Education

• ✅ Funding equity: fair funding for ELL, special education, and high-poverty schools; restore key supports.
• ✅ State “fair share”: implement JLARC recommendations and keep public funds in public schools.
• ✅ Sustainable revenue: new K-12 funding options, including local 1% school sales-tax referenda.
• ✅ Community schools: restorative, wrap-around supports instead of punitive discipline.
• ✅ Education funding amendment: change “seek to ensure” to “ensure” adequate public education funding.

G. Health Care

• ✅ Medicaid & SNAP stability: protect funding for health care and nutrition.
• ✅ Continuous Medicaid (0–6): prevent coverage gaps for young children.
• ✅ Support local DSS: staffing, training, and technology improvements.
• ✅ Marketplace subsidies: sustain state help for affordable coverage.
• ✅ Paid medical leave: advance leave as a health and caregiver support priority.

H. Reproductive Health

• ✅ Constitutional protection: enshrine reproductive freedom in Virginia’s Constitution.
• ✅ Right to contraception: equitable access statewide.
• ✅ Shield laws: protect lawful care in Virginia from out-of-state actions.
• ✅ Insurance coverage: comprehensive coverage for reproductive health care.

I. Domestic & Gun Violence

• ✅ Firearm purchaser licensing: safety steps and eligibility checks before purchase.
• ✅ State Office of Gun Violence Prevention: coordinate research and community intervention programs.

Want the full wording? See LWV-VA’s official legislative priorities in the Virginia Voter (Nov 2025) and LWV-VA updates.

Thank you to all who joined or renewed their membership since our last bulletin!

Kay Allen, Olivia Bada, Jennifer Barlament, Jane Bauserman, Sharon Beach**, Michael Beckman, Sande Bishop, Margaret Blakely, Robert Bott, Deborah Bussert, Virginia Carey**, Katherine Cheves, Kathleen Christesen**, Patricia Coe, Carolyn Davis**, Elizabeth Delk, Deborah Van Doren, Dr Arthur Ellis, Sue Engelhardt, Trisha Farinholt, Denise Fehrenbach, Mary Ann Fields, Margaret Fowler, Joseph Frigden**, Dorothy Geyer, Conny Graft, Carolyn Greathouse, Beth Hoer, Donna Lloyd-Jones, Mary Kayrouz**, Barbara Kellner, Bonnie Keppel, Victoria Kessler, Clara Massey**, Catherine McGaw, John McGlennon, Heather Meaney-Allen, Lane Olson, Susanna Owens, Alynn Parham, Ellen Peters**, Jeannette Potter**, William Ramsay, Linda Rice, Victoria Rockwell, Karen Schifrin, Peter Schoultz, Karen Siracusa**, Susan Stern, Robert Stoothoff**, Elaine Swartz, Marian Taliaferro, Trenna Tankersley, Angela Taormina, Susan Thomas, James Tobin**, Robert Watt, Ellen Weidman

Note: Those marked (**) included an additional contribution with their dues (as of 2/5/2026).