9-18-2026 7:54am

Election 2026: WHAT’S ON SPOTSYLVANIA’S TWO-PAGE BALLOT? YOUR SAMPLE BALLOT

John Williams Editor

Courtesy Of The Spotsylvania Office Of Elections

Candidates, three proposed Virginia constitutional amendments and four county bond questions will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot

By The Spotsylvania Gazette

SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. — Spotsylvania County’s ballot for the Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, general and special elections is two-sided and includes three candidate contests, three proposed amendments to the Virginia Constitution and four county bond referendum questions.

Because several questions are lengthy, voters should review both sides of the ballot before voting. The following candidate names and ballot questions are presented as they appear on the county’s official sample ballot⁠.

Candidates

United States Senate

Vote for one:

Mark R. Warner — Democratic
Bert Mizusawa — Republican
Write-in

U.S. House of Representatives — 7th District

Vote for one:

Eugene S. Vindman — Democratic
Doug A. Ollivant — Republican
Taner E. Demirci Lopez — Libertarian
Alaha Ahrar — Independent
Joshua E. Ertle — Independent
Randall A. Terry — Independent
Write-in

Spotsylvania County Commissioner of Revenue

Special election for the unexpired term ending Dec. 31, 2027. Vote for one:

Shellie Marcellous Bowman
Chris J. “Yak” Yakabouski
Write-in

Proposed constitutional amendments

Voters may select “Yes” or “No” for each amendment.

Question 1 — Reproductive freedom

Question: Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to (i) protect the freedom to make personal decisions about prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion, miscarriage management, and fertility care; (ii) protect doctors, nurses, and patients from being punished for these decisions; and (iii) allow for restrictions on access to abortion during the third trimester of pregnancy except when the patient’s health is at risk or the pregnancy cannot survive?

Question 2 — Marriage

Question: Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to (i) remove the ban on same-sex marriage; (ii) affirm that two adults may marry regardless of sex, gender, or race; and (iii) require all legally valid marriages to be treated equally under the law?

Question 3 — Voting rights

Question: Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended (i) to provide for the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth, (ii) to revise the qualifications of voters so that a person convicted of a felony is not entitled to vote during his period of incarceration but is automatically invested with the right to vote upon release from incarceration, and (iii) to update the existing prohibition on voting by persons found to be mentally incompetent to instead apply to persons who have been found to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting?

Spotsylvania County bond referendum

The four questions ask voters whether Spotsylvania County should be authorized to issue general-obligation bonds for specified capital projects. Each question is decided separately with a “Yes” or “No” vote.

Question 1 — Public Schools: $237,278,605

Question 1: Shall the County of Spotsylvania, Virginia (the “County”) contract a debt and issue its General Obligation Public Improvement Bonds in the maximum amount of Two Hundred Thirty-Seven Million Two Hundred Seventy-Eight Thousand Six Hundred Five Dollars ($237,278,605) to provide funds, together with other available funds, to undertake a program of Capital Improvement Projects for the Spotsylvania County Public Schools, including without limitation (1) the acquisition of real property for future public school sites, construction and equipping of new public schools and additions and renovations to existing public schools; (2) public school capital maintenance purposes, including HVAC and roof replacements, asphalt/sidewalk construction and replacement, and other capital maintenance projects; (3) school transportation purposes including acquisition of new and replacement school buses; (4) school technology purposes including upgrades to and replacements of existing equipment; and (5) acquisition, construction and equipping or rehabilitation of such other capital school assets as may be required to address the actual educational needs of the residents of the County?

Question 2 — Transportation: $67,627,000

Question 2: Shall the County of Spotsylvania, Virginia (the “County”) contract a debt and issue its General Obligation Public Improvement Bonds in the maximum amount of Sixty-Seven Million Six Hundred Twenty-Seven Thousand Dollars ($67,627,000) to provide funds, together with other available funds, to undertake a program of Capital Improvement Projects for transportation purposes, including without limitation (except as specifically provided below) (1) intersection improvements at Route 208 and Smith Station Road to alleviate traffic and improve safety; (2) extension and improvements to Germanna Point Drive to provide an alternate travel route for traffic; (3) widening of portions of Route 2 and Route 17 to four lanes; (4) widening of a portion of Harrison Road to include a shared-use path and a pedestrian sidewalk; (5) acquisition, design and construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Old Plank Road and Andora Drive; (6) a minimum of $10,018,213 of Bonds to be allocated to the acquisition, design and construction of improvements to the County’s rural roads, including intersection improvements and construction of shoulders to rural roads; and (7) funding of the County’s share of other pedestrian, bicycle and shared-use paths and “Safe Routes to School” sidewalk projects so that the County may receive matching funds under the Federal aid highway program known as the Transportation Alternatives Program, or any substantially similar or replacement federal or state highway financing program?

Question 3 — Public Safety: $61,993,592

Question 3: Shall the County of Spotsylvania, Virginia (the “County”) contract a debt and issue its General Obligation Public Improvement Bonds in the maximum amount of Sixty-One Million Nine Hundred Ninety-Three Thousand Five Hundred Ninety-Two Dollars ($61,993,592) to provide funds, together with other available funds, to undertake a program of Capital Improvement Projects for public safety purposes, including without limitation (1) the construction and equipping of (a) a fire training and logistics center, including classrooms, office and storage space and related facilities, (b) a replacement burn building for live fire training exercises, (c) a new fire station in the area of West Catharpin Road and Pamunkey Road, (d) Four Mile Fork Fire Station improvements to provide more accessible shower and locker room facilities for the projected number of station crew that will be staffing the station; and (2) replacements of fire and EMS equipment, including new fire trucks and ambulances?

Question 4 — Environmental and Solid Waste: $33,657,353

Question 4: Shall the County of Spotsylvania, Virginia (the “County”) contract a debt and issue its General Obligation Public Improvement Bonds in the maximum amount of Thirty-Three Million Six Hundred Fifty-Seven Thousand Three Hundred Fifty-Three Dollars ($33,657,353) to provide funds, together with other available funds from the County or other sources, if any, to undertake a program of capital improvement projects for environmental and solid waste management, including without limitation (1) mandated closure of Cells 3 through 6 at the Livingston Landfill including final grading, protective cover systems, and environmental controls to ensure compliance with state and federal environmental regulations; (2) construction of Cell II-C at the Livingston Landfill to provide additional mandated permitted waste disposal capacity; (3) excavation, processing and recovery of airspace at Livingston Landfill site to extend landfill service life and mitigate long-term environmental liabilities; and (4) improvements to convenience centers to improve residential access to solid waste and recycling services including enhanced safety features and upgraded site infrastructure?

Together, the four questions authorize a maximum of approximately $400.6 million in bonds. Each proposal appears separately on the ballot.

The Gazette will begin its detailed examination with the county bond referendum questions, providing verified information about the proposed projects and costs without telling readers how to vote.

Source: Spotsylvania County Electoral Board official sample ballot⁠; Virginia Department of Elections⁠.

Thousand Dollars ($67,627,000) to provide funds, together with other available funds, to undertake a program of Capital Improvement Projects for transportation purposes, including without limitation (except as specifically provided below) (1) intersection improvements at Route 208 and Smith Station Road to alleviate traffic and improve safety; (2) extension and improvements to Germanna Point Drive to provide an alternate travel route for traffic; (3) widening of portions of Route 2 and Route 17 to four lanes; (4) widening of a portion of Harrison Road to include a shared-use path and a pedestrian sidewalk; (5) acquisition, design and construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Old Plank Road and Andora Drive; (6) a minimum of $10,018,213 of Bonds to be allocated to the acquisition, design and construction of improvements to the County’s rural roads, including intersection improvements and construction of shoulders to rural roads; and (7) funding of the County’s share of other pedestrian, bicycle and shared-use paths and “Safe Routes to School” sidewalk projects so that the County may receive matching funds under the Federal aid highway program known as the Transportation Alternatives Program, or any substantially similar or replacement federal or state highway financing program?

Question 3 — Public Safety: $61,993,592

Question 4 — Environmental and Solid Waste: $33,657,353

Together, the four questions authorize a maximum of approximately $400.6 million in bonds. Each proposal appears separately on the ballot.

The Gazette will begin its detailed examination with the county bond referendum questions, providing verified information about the proposed projects and costs without telling readers how to vote.

Source: Spotsylvania County Electoral Board official sample ballot⁠; Virginia Department of Elections⁠.

, firetrucks, ambulances and other fire and EMS equipment.
Environmental and Solid Waste — $33,657,353: Required landfill closures and environmental controls, additional landfill capacity, recovery of landfill space and improvements to county convenience centers.

Approval would authorize the county to borrow up to the amount stated in each question by issuing general-obligation bonds. It would not require the entire authorized amount to be borrowed or spent immediately.

Together, the four questions represent approximately $400.6 million in potential county borrowing. Each will be examined separately in the Gazette’s continuing voter-education series.

Proposed constitutional amendments

Voters may select “Yes” or “No” for each amendment.

Question 1 — Reproductive freedom

Question 2 — Marriage

Question 3 — Voting rights

Spotsylvania County bond referendum

Question 1 — Public Schools: $237,278,605

Question 2 — Transportation: $67,627,000

Question 3 — Public Safety: $61,993,592

Question 4 — Environmental and Solid Waste: $33,657,353

Together, the four questions authorize a maximum of approximately $400.6 million in bonds. Each proposal appears separately on the ballot.

The Gazette will begin its detailed examination with the county bond referendum questions, providing verified information about the proposed projects and costs without telling readers how to vote.

Source: Spotsylvania County Electoral Board official sample ballot⁠; Virginia Department of Elections⁠.

Next in the Gazette’s series: Spotsylvania County’s bond referendum questions, beginning with public schools.