Ballot issue affecting Virginians whose spouses died in the line of duty

RICHMOND, Va. — When Virginians go to the polls this election season, everyone will receive a ballot that will be different from the others depending on where they live.

However, there are a few options that everyone will share, including presidential elections, a senate election, and changing the constitution.

Among the questions before voters this election is whether to give military spouses of soldiers killed in the line of duty a 100% exemption from Virginia property taxes.

“There was a critical difference in that we were missing the families that really needed it,” said state Sen. Jeremy McPike.

WTVR

It’s an issue McPike has been working on since it was brought to his attention several years ago.

He notes that Virginia already offers waivers to spouses of soldiers who are killed in action or are deemed totally disabled.

“We have this weird loophole where if a soldier dies in the line of duty or in an accident during training, they’re not covered,” McPike said. “If they survived and became 100% disabled, that would be what happened. So it’s a bit of an unfair difference.”

Granting this exemption, however, requires an amendment to the Virginia Constitution – a process that takes several years.

First, lawmakers had to pass legislation on the issue in two separate sessions of the General Assembly, and elections had to be held in between.

The law was first passed in 2023, elections were held later that year, and it was passed again in 2024.

McPike says it was unanimously supported by lawmakers and attributes it to testimony from affected families in 2023.

Among them was Traci Voelke, whose husband, Army Maj. Paul Voelke, died in an accident en route to a combat mission.

“Killed in Afghanistan in 2012 while on his fifth combat deployment. He was a Ranger. He supported Delta Force,” Voelke said. “The Department of Defense considers us a gold star spouse. We died in the line of duty and were not killed by enemy fire, therefore we do not qualify for this exemption.”

Now that it has been approved by lawmakers, the ballot question before voters is the final step in the process.

McPike says if approved, about 100 families would benefit from the exemption.

“Those who are in the military know that no one is ever left behind.”

When lawmakers return to Richmond in January, the process is expected to begin on more possible constitutional amendments, including ensuring abortion rights and term limits for the attorney general and lieutenant governor.

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