League Calendar
- 7 September | 2 PM | Postcard Writing Party | JCC Recreation Center
- 1 October | 4 PM | LWV of Williamsburg Board Meeting | Williamsburg Regional Library on Scotland Street
- 30 October | 4 PM | Back to League | Legacy Hall
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Thank You New & Renewing Members!
Georgianna Avioli, Lydia Blizzard, **Vivian Brady Jones, Julie Cabaniss, Patty Hannah, Linda Hughes, Maria Swetnam-Burland
[as of 9/6/2025]
** Member gave an extra donation in addition to dues.
|  | Back to League 2025
Wednesday, October 30th - Doors Open 3:30 PM
Legacy Hall, Williamsburg
Register Now!
The League of Women Voters of the Williamsburg Area invites all members (and guests!) to our annual Back to League event. This special evening combines community learning, lively conversation, and social connection.
What to Expect:
- Panel Presentation: How ICE policies and voter suppression are affecting Williamsburg, James City County, and Virginia
- Panelists: Professor Stacy Kern-Scheerer, William & Mary Law School ; Mark Jamison, JCC Police Chief ; Patricia Bracknell, President, Chamber for Hispanic Progress
- Moderator: Monty Mason, Former State Senator
- Q&A session with audience participation
- Light refreshments and time to catch up with fellow members
Who’s Invited?
All League members are encouraged to attend. Please bring a friend, spouse, or guest to share in the evening. Register today and join us for this energizing start to the League year!
Register Now! |  | Voter Services at Community Events
Our voter registration work for the November 4 election is off to a strong start.
At the Real People Educating Others Backpack Giveaway at Lafayette High School, we set up our voting services table and enjoyed celebrating the distribution of 1,000 backpacks filled with supplies for local students.
At William & Mary, we are actively registering new and returning students at tabling dates scheduled all over Campus.
At local senior communities, we assist longtime voters with address changes and joining the permanent absentee list to make voting easier.
Looking ahead, we are monitoring a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services policy change that could block groups like ours from registering new citizens at Naturalization Ceremonies. The League is actively engaged at the local level, and we are ready to partner with our registrars to ensure new citizens are registered without delay.
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Reclaim Our Vote Postcard Writing Party
Sunday, September 7 at 2:00 PM
James City County Recreation Center
5301 Longhill Road, Williamsburg
Hosted by League of Women Voters of Williamsburg Area & Williamsburg JCC Indivisible
Join this non-partisan postcard writing party to boost voter turnout in the 2025 Virginia General Election!
We’ll be writing non-partisan postcards to encourage Black voters in Virginia to participate in the November election — for Governor, Lt. Governor, and the House of Delegates. This outreach is part of the statewide Reclaim Our Vote campaign from the Center for Common Ground, focusing on voters who are often overlooked by traditional efforts.
These postcards are strictly non-partisan — no candidates, no parties — just a friendly, empowering reminder to vote.
|  | NAMIWalks Williamsburg – October 4
Our League's Voter Services will be at NAMI Walks!
Join NAMI Williamsburg for its 2nd Annual NAMIWalks on Saturday, October 26, 2025, from 10:00 AM–1:00 PM at Veterans Park (3793 Ironbound Rd, Williamsburg). This community walk raises awareness and funds for mental health services, breaks stigma, and promotes access to care.
Ways to Participate:
- Walk: Enjoy two loops around Veterans Park.
- Donate: Support NAMI’s programs and services.
- Volunteer: Help with event activities.
- Build a Team: Invite friends, family, or colleagues to walk together.
|  | Three Proposed Virginia Constitutional Amendments
In early 2025, the General Assembly passed three proposed constitutional amendments:
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Abortion rights: would establish a constitutional right to reproductive freedom, including access to abortion.
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Voting rights restoration: would automatically restore voting rights to people who have completed felony sentences, ending the current requirement of gubernatorial approval.
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Marriage equality: would remove Virginia’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and ensure marriage rights cannot be denied based on sex, gender, or race.
Virginia’s constitution still includes a ban on same-sex marriage, added in 2006. This ban is not enforced because the U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision (2015) requires all states to recognize and license same-sex marriages. The proposed amendment would delete this obsolete ban and replace it with language affirming marriage equality, protecting rights even if the federal court ruling changes in the future.
Next Steps Toward the Ballot
- Constitutional amendments in Virginia must be approved by two different General Assemblies, with a House of Delegates election in between.
- This means the 2026 General Assembly must approve the same amendments again, in identical form.
- If both chambers approve, the amendments will appear on the statewide ballot for voters.
- If either chamber rejects or fails to act, the amendments die and the process must start over in a later session.
- Earliest possible voter referenda: November 2026.
|  | | Voting rights case to ensure rolls aren’t purged too close to Election Day to move forward
A federal judge in Virginia has allowed a voting rights case against Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s voter roll purge to move forward. The lawsuit, filed by groups including the Virginia Coalition for Immigrants’ Rights and the League of Women Voters of Virginia, claims Gov. Youngkin violated the National Voter Registration Act’s 90-day “quiet period” by accelerating removals just before the 2024 election.
His Aug. 7, 2024 executive order sped up removals from monthly to daily, raising concerns that eligible voters, especially naturalized citizens, could be wrongly purged. Roughly 1,600 Virginians were affected, some only discovering their status at the polls. Plaintiffs argue that proper notification and investigation were skipped, making it harder for eligible voters to correct errors.
The U.S. Supreme Court previously allowed the purge, but the U.S. District Court’s ruling now opens the door to depositions and further evidence gathering. Meanwhile, Virginia lawmakers tried to clarify the law, but Youngkin vetoed their bill. If successful, the suit aims to prevent voter disenfranchisement in future elections, including next year’s congressional contests.
Timeline of Key Events
- 2006 — Virginia passes a law permitting the removal of individuals from voter rolls if they do not confirm U.S. citizenship on Department of Motor Vehicles forms. Information is shared monthly with the State Board of Elections.
- August 7, 2024 — Governor Glenn Youngkin issues an executive order directing that these removals be carried out daily instead of monthly. The date falls 90 days before the 2024 general election. On the same day, he discusses the order in a televised interview.
- Summer 2024 — Civil rights groups, federal officials, and state legislators raise questions about whether the timing of the new order complies with the National Voter Registration Act, which bars most voter list maintenance activities within 90 days of a federal election.
- Fall 2024 — Several organizations, including the Virginia Coalition for Immigrants’ Rights, the League of Women Voters of Virginia, and African Communities Together, file suit in federal court, citing the 90-day rule.
- Late 2024 — Plaintiffs request an injunction to block the order. The U.S. Supreme Court allows the removals to proceed. Approximately 1,600 voters are removed from the rolls, with some later reinstated.
- 2025 Legislative Session — The Virginia General Assembly passes a bill to clarify the timing of voter roll maintenance. The measure is vetoed by the governor.
- September 2025* — Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia rules that the lawsuit may go forward, rejecting a motion to dismiss. The case now moves into the evidence-gathering phase.
|  | League Book Group
November 6 - 4:30 PM
Did you know that the League has a book club that meets quarterly?
Our next meeting is November 6 at 4:30pm to discuss Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire.
Hope to See You There!
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