Elections & Voter Engagement

Delegate Shin also provided us with an overview of the Virginia General Assembly, spoke with the group about how a bill becomes a law, and emphasized why it is so important for community members to understand the legislative process and communicate with their legislators before the 2027 General Assembly session begins. Constituents can make their voices heard by attending town halls, meeting personally with legislators, making phone calls, and sending emails or letters. They can also provide public comment at committee hearings and other public meetings.

Participants also learned just how much legislation moves through Richmond each year. According to the Virginia Legislative Information System (https://lis.virginia.gov/), 3,646 pieces of legislation were circulating during the 2026 session, and 433 were continued into the 2027 session. Those numbers show why it matters for everyday Virginians to know how to follow legislation, understand where bills are in the process, and speak up at the right time.

The discussion with Delegate Shin was so informative and engaging that we decided to move the hands-on portion of the workshop to the following week. When we reconvened, participants walked through the Virginia Legislative Information System together and learned how to search for bills, check bill status, set up watch lists, and begin tracking legislation that matters to them. We also learned about other information sources such as VPAP (https://www.vpap.org/),  Virginia Scope (https://www.virginiascope.com/) and Legiscan (https://legiscan.com/) which allows you to research bills nationwide.

Most importantly, several members volunteered to begin researching and tracking bills on issues including immigration, data centers, gun violence in schools, and more. We will gather again on June 15 to review the status of these bills, discuss what everyone has learned, and plan next steps for action.

The 2027 General Assembly session is expected to last only 45 days, giving legislators a very limited amount of time to review, debate, amend, and vote on hundreds of proposals. That makes it even more important for constituents to learn about issues and begin communicating with their legislators before the session starts.

This workshop was an important step toward helping our members feel more confident, informed, and prepared to track legislation and take meaningful civic action.

Keep an eye out for a future email with details for Delegate Shin’s BYOB Workshop as well as future Turning the Tables Adopt-a-Bill workshops. 

Want to learn more about civics and what you can do to support your community? 

Interested in understanding how bills become laws and the many ways residents can influence legislation? Would you like to help teach others or explore the U.S. Constitution and the structure of government?

No prior experience is needed—just curiosity and a desire to learn, participate, and help others become more informed and engaged.

If any of these topics interest you, please join our Civics & Public Outreach Working Group.  Whether you’re interested in education, research, community outreach, or advocacy, there’s a place for you to get involved.