WHEREAS, over 70 million adults with disabilities live in communities throughout the United States, and approximately 40.2 million Americans with disabilities were projected to be eligible voters in 2024; and

WHEREAS, approximately 938,500 Virginians with disabilities were projected to be eligible voters in 2024, representing about 15.1 percent of Virginia’s eligible electorate; and

WHEREAS, the disability community has a critical interest in policies and decisions made and enacted at local, state, and national levels that directly impact the lives of people with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, voting provides an effective way for the disability community to have a say in the people and policies that impact their communities; and

WHEREAS, ensuring that people with disabilities have full and equal access to voting is essential to ensuring policy decisions meet the needs of people with disabilities in communities across the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth is committed to making voting accessible for residents of all abilities by ensuring fully accessible polling places, accessible voting machines, and expanding mail-in and absentee voting options, which is vital to protecting the voting rights of all Virginians; and

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Abigail D. Spanberger, Governor, do hereby recognize September 14-18, 2026, as DISABILITY VOTING RIGHTS WEEK in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.