RICHMOND, VIRGINIA — Virginia voters approved a constitutional amendment Tuesday removing the state’s dormant ban on same-sex marriage and replacing it with explicit protections for lawful marriages between two adults.
The measure passed with about 57% support, according to unofficial results, and will take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
Virginia voters originally approved the Marshall-Newman Amendment in 2006, defining marriage as exclusively between one man and one woman. That provision became unenforceable after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision established nationwide marriage equality, but the language remained in Virginia’s constitution.
The new amendment states that Virginia may not deny a marriage license to two adults based on sex, gender or race and must recognize and treat lawful marriages equally under state law. It also reinforces protections for interracial marriage.
Supporters argued that removing the old language was important because constitutional protections could matter if the U.S. Supreme Court ever revisited Obergefell. Opponents included religious conservative groups that campaigned against the change.
The marriage amendment was one of three constitutional changes Virginia voters approved Tuesday, alongside measures protecting reproductive rights and automatically restoring voting rights after incarceration.
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