SB 176 (VanValkenburg)

Chief Co-Patron: Salim
Co-Patrons:
Ebbin, Srinivasan, Carroll Foy, Favola, Pekarsky

This bill makes adjustments to the existing pilot program established in 2020 that allows localities to adopt ranked choice voting for city council and board of supervisor elections.

This bill:

• Expands the scope of the existing law to include Town Councils.

• Provides a “kill switch” in the event a locality is not technically able to conduct an RCV election.

• Clarifies the scope of the existing law.

• Codifies best practices for ranked choice voting election administration.

• Directs ELECT to develop certification process for election technology beyond voting machines.

• Makes permanent the existing pilot program.

Track progress:

1/27 - Bill on the docket in Senate Privileges & Elections Committee

HB630 (Callsen)

Chief Co-patron: Hope

Co-patrons:
Anderson, Clark, Cohen, J. Cole, Convirs-Fowler, Cousins, Dougherty, Downey, Glass, Henson, Hernandez, Martinez, McAuliff, McClure, Rasoul, Schmidt, Shin, Simonds, Singh, Tran

This bill makes adjustments to the existing pilot program established in 2020 that allows localities to adopt ranked choice voting for city council and board of supervisor elections.

This bill:

• Expands the scope of the existing law to include Town Councils.

• Provides a “kill switch” in the event a locality is not technically able to conduct an RCV election.

• Clarifies the scope of the existing law.

• Codifies best practices for ranked choice voting election administration.

• Directs ELECT to develop certification process for election technology beyond voting machines.

• Makes permanent the existing pilot program.

Track progress:

Bill referred to the House Privileges and Elections Committee

2.9.26 - Passed House Subcommittee on Election Administration (5Y-2N)

2.13.26 - To be heard in the full House Privileges and Elections Committee

HB 965 (Price)

Co-patrons: Anderson, Anthony, Bennett-Parker, Carnegie, Clark, Cole, J.G., Delaney, Feggans, Gardner, Guzman, Helmer, Henson, Hope, Krizek, Maldonado, Martinez, McClure, Nivar, Rasoul, Schmidt, Simon, Ward, Watts and Willett

Plus Senators: Aird, Boysko, Carroll Foy, Favola, Locke, Salim and Williams Graves

Presidential electors; National Popular Vote Compact. Enters Virginia into an interstate compact known as the Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote. Article II of the Constitution of the United States gives the states exclusive and plenary authority to decide the manner of awarding their electoral votes. Under the compact, Virginia agrees to award its electoral votes to the presidential ticket that receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The compact goes into effect when states cumulatively possessing a majority of the electoral votes have joined the compact. A state may withdraw from the compact; however, a withdrawal occurring within six months of the end of a President's term shall not become effective until a President or Vice President has qualified to serve the next term. The bill also provides for the manner of appointing electors when such agreement does and does not govern the appointment of electors.

2.6.26 - Passed House Subcommittee on Voting Rights (5Y-3N)

2.6.26 - Passed House Privileges and Elections Committee (14Y-8N)

SB 322 (Ebbin)

Co-patrons: Aird, Boysko, Carroll Foy, Favola, Jones, Locke, Lucas, Marsden, Pekarsky, Perry, Roem, Salim, Srinivasan, VanValkenburg and Williams Graves

Plus Delegates: Anthony, Bennett-Parker, Carnegie, Clark, Convirs-Fowler, Delaney, Feggans, Gardner, Guzman, Helmer, Henson, Hope, Krizek, Maldonado, Martinez, Nivar, Price, Rasoul, Reid, Simon and Watts

Presidential electors; National Popular Vote Compact. Enters Virginia into an interstate compact known as the Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote. Article II of the Constitution of the United States gives the states exclusive and plenary authority to decide the manner of awarding their electoral votes. Under the compact, Virginia agrees to award its electoral votes to the presidential ticket that receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The compact goes into effect when states cumulatively possessing a majority of the electoral votes have joined the compact. A state may withdraw from the compact; however, a withdrawal occurring within six months of the end of a President's term shall not become effective until a President or Vice President has qualified to serve the next term. The bill also provides for the manner of appointing electors when such agreement does and does not govern the appointment of electors.

2.3.26 - Passed Senate Privileges and Elections Committee (8Y-6N)

2.9.26 - Passed full Senate (21Y-19N)

HJ2 - Bennett-Parker

Constitutional amendment (second reference); qualifications of voters and the right to vote; persons not entitled to vote. Provides that every person who meets the qualifications of voters set forth in the Constitution shall have the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth and that such right shall not be abridged by law, except for persons who have been convicted of a felony and persons who have been adjudicated to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting. A person who has been convicted of a felony shall not be entitled to vote during any period of incarceration for such felony conviction, but upon release from incarceration for that felony conviction and without further action required of him such person shall be invested with all political rights, including the right to vote. Currently, in order to be qualified to vote a person convicted of a felony must have his civil rights restored by the Governor or other appropriate authority. The amendment also provides that a person adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction as lacking the capacity to understand the act of voting shall not be entitled to vote during this period of incapacity until his capacity has been reestablished as prescribed by law. Currently, the Constitution provides that a person who has been adjudicated to be mentally incompetent is not qualified to vote until his competency is reestablished.

Update:

This resolution has passed both chambers of the General Assembly and will appear on the ballot in November. If the majority of voter approve, it will be added to the Constitution of Virginia.

Constitutional amendment (second reference); qualifications of voters and the right to vote; persons not entitled to vote. Provides that every person who meets the qualifications of voters set forth in the Constitution shall have the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth and that such right shall not be abridged by law, except for persons who have been convicted of a felony and persons who have been adjudicated to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting. A person who has been convicted of a felony shall not be entitled to vote during any period of incarceration for such felony conviction, but upon release from incarceration for that felony conviction and without further action required of him such person shall be invested with all political rights, including the right to vote. Currently, in order to be qualified to vote a person convicted of a felony must have his civil rights restored by the Governor or other appropriate authority. The amendment also provides that a person adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction as lacking the capacity to understand the act of voting shall not be entitled to vote during this period of incapacity until his capacity has been reestablished as prescribed by law. Currently, the Constitution provides that a person who has been adjudicated to be mentally incompetent is not qualified to vote until his competency is reestablished.

Update:

This resolution has passed both chambers of the General Assembly and will appear on the ballot in November. If the majority of voter approve, it will be added to the Constitution of Virginia.

HB639 (Krizek)

Elections; administration; acceptance of certain gifts and funding; approval required. Removes the prohibition on accepting property and services provided by a private individual or nongovernmental entity for the purpose of funding voter education and outreach programs, voter registration programs, or any other expense incurred in the conduct of elections. Conditions the acceptance of money or grants of greater than $1,000 given by a private individual or nongovernmental entity for the purpose of funding voter education and outreach programs, voter registration programs, or any other expense incurred in the conduct of elections on approval of such funding by a two-thirds majority vote of all members of the State Board of Elections or the local governing body.

NOTE: We support this modification to existing law, as it will allow election officials to receive pro bono guidance and assistance with technical aspects of implementation (such as RCV tabulation) and help with voter education from groups like UpVote.

2.2.26 - Passed House Subcommittee on Election Administration (6Y-2N)

2.6.26 - Passed House Privileges and Elections Committee (15Y-7N)

HB28 (Henson)

Voter registration, regular periodic review of registration records; 90-day quiet period before all primary and general elections. Requires the Department of Elections to complete not later than 90 days prior to the date of a primary or general election any program the purpose of which is to systematically remove the names of ineligible voters from the voter registration system. This restriction is not to be construed to preclude (i) the removal of names from the voter registration system at the request of the registrant or as provided by existing law by reason of criminal conviction or mental incapacity or the death of the registrant or (ii) the correction of registration records pursuant to existing law.

Under current law, such restriction only applies to federal primaries and federal general elections. The bill also extends (a) the period of time registrars have to cancel registrations from 30 days to 60 days after notification of the need to cancel by the Department of Elections and (b) the period of time a registered voter has to respond to a notice of cancellation related to citizenship status from 14 days to 28 days.

1.26.26 - Passed Elections Administration subcommittee (6Y-2N)

1.30.26 - Passed House Privileges and Elections Committee and referred to House Appropriations subcommittee on General Government and Capital Outlay (15Y-7N)

SB52 (Rouse)

Voter registration; regular periodic review of registration records; 90-day quiet period before all primary and general elections. Requires the Department of Elections to complete not later than 90 days prior to the date of a primary or general election any program the purpose of which is to systematically remove the names of ineligible voters from the voter registration system. This restriction is not to be construed to preclude (i) the removal of names from the voter registration system at the request of the registrant or as provided by existing law by reason of criminal conviction or mental incapacity or the death of the registrant or (ii) the correction of registration records pursuant to existing law.

Under current law, such restriction only applies to federal primaries and federal general elections. The bill also extends (a) the period of time registrars have to cancel registrations from 30 days to 60 days after notification of the need to cancel by the Department of Elections and (b) the period of time a registered voter has to respond to a notice of cancellation related to citizenship status from 14 days to 28 days.

1.27.26 - Passed Senate Privileges and Elections Committee (8Y-6N)

2.2.26 - Passed Senate (21Y-19N)

2.5.26 - Referred to House Appropriations Committee

HB773 (Thornton)

Elections; absentee voting; cure process. Removes the requirement that absentee ballots be received by the Friday immediately preceding the day of the election for the general registrar to implement the process of curing errors or failures in such absentee ballots. The bill also moves the deadline for curing errors or omissions in absentee ballot applications from noon on the third day after the election to noon on the Monday after the election.

1.26.26 - Passed House Subcommittee on Election Administration (6Y-2N)

1.30.26 - Passed House Privileges and Elections Committee (15Y-7N)

2.3.26 - Passed full House (62Y-35N)

2.4.26 - Referred to Senate Privileges and Elections Committee