VA bill tracker 2025

Legislative Priority: Ranked Choice Voting

Ranked choice voting is a simple way to ensure that our voting process is more representative of the electorate while also incentivizing candidates who build consensus. Contact your representative today to show your support for ranked choice voting!

 2025 Election Bills

  • SB 1009 (Salim)

    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 would give localities the flexibility to include mayors and/or school boards in ranked choice voting elections.

    The bill:

    • Clarifies the scope of existing law

    • Codifies best practices for ranked choice voting election administration

    • Certifies election technology beyond voting machines

    Track SB 1009’s progress:

    1/7/2025: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections

    1/21/2025: Reported from Privileges and Elections and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 7-N)

    2/3/2025: Passed the Senate with a vote of 21-19! On its way to the House of Delegates!

    2/6/2025: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections

    2/9/2025: Assigned to Privileges and Elections subcommittee Election Administration

    2/10/2025: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (5-Y 3-N)

    2/14/2025: Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute (12-Y 10-N)

    2/19/2025: Passed House with substitute (50-Y 46-N)

    2/20/2025: House substitute agreed to by Senate (20-Y 19-N), on its way to the governor!

 2024 Election Bills

  • SB 428 (Vanvalkenburg)

    Building on the existing pilot program, this bill gives localities the option to adopt RCV for any local or constitutional office. Currently, localities can only adopt RCV for city council or county board of supervisors elections. This new language also extends this option to towns with their own governing bodies.

    This bill gives localities the flexibility to tailor their use of RCV to the needs of their community. Local governing bodies can utilize RCV in any and all elections where it makes sense.

    It is the same language as HB 841 (Hope).

    Referred to Senate Privileges and Elections Committee.

    1.30 - Reported out of P&E (meaning it passed!) and referred to the Senate Finance Committee, General Government Subcommittee.

    2.6 - Unanimously passed out of Senate Finance Subcommittee with a reenactment clause - referred to full Senate Finance Committee.

    2.7 - Reported out of Senate Finance Committee - headed to a vote by the full Senate!

    2.12 - Passed the Senate with a vote of 21-19! On its way to the House of Delegates!

    2.26 - Passed the House Subcommittee on Election Administration with a substituted version. The bill now clarifies the ranked choice voting process and ensures that localities who wish to use ranked choice voting can do so in the smoothest possible way. Headed to a full committee.

    3.1 - Substitute version of SB 428 passed the House Privileges and Elections Committee on a bipartisan vote.

    3.6 - Substitute version of SB 428 passed the House of Delegates with a bipartisan vote.

    3.7 - Substitute version of SB 428 passed the Senate. Headed to the governor’s desk for signature!

    4.8 - Vetoed by Gov. Youngkin

  • SB 270 (Subramanyam)

    This bill mirrors the above bill, but only applies to presidential primaries. This law would not be in effect for the 2024 presidential primaries.

    Built-in delayed enactment - would not take effect until 2028 elections.

    Referred to the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee.

    1.30 - Reported out of P&E (meaning it passed!) and referred to the Senate Finance Committee, General Government Subcommittee.

    2.6 - Unanimously passed out of Senate Finance Subcommittee with a reenactment clause - referred to full Senate Finance Committee.

    2.7 - Reported out of Senate Finance Committee - headed to a vote by the full Senate!

    2.12 - Passed the Senate with a vote of 21-19

    2.19 - Carried over to 2025 session.

  • HB 658 (Cole)

    This bill offers political parties the option to use RCV in state-run primaries for legislative, statewide, congressional, or presidential elections.

    The decision to use RCV for a particular primary is made by the party.

    Heard in House Privileges and Elections Committee, Subcommittee on Election Administration.

    Carried over for the year.

  • HB 841 (Hope)

    Building on the existing pilot program, this bill gives localities the option to adopt RCV for any local or constitutional office. Currently, localities can only adopt RCV for city council or county board of supervisors elections. This new language also extends this option to towns with their own governing bodies.

    This bill gives localities the flexibility to tailor their use of RCV to the needs of their community. Local governing bodies can utilize RCV in any and all elections where it makes sense.

    The language is the same as SB 428 (Vanvalkenburg).

    Referred to House Rules Committee.

  • HB 393 (Griffin)

    Among many other things , this bill would repeal no-excuse absentee voting, the permanent absentee voting list, drop boxes, same-day voter registration AND ranked choice voting. UpVote Virginia opposes this bill.

    This bill was defeated in the House Privileges and Elections Committee, Subcommittee on Election Administration!