Elections & Redistricting
| Bills | Committee | Last action | Date |
| HB 1377 - Greenhalgh - Voter registration; cancellation for persons known to be deceased or disqualified to vote, deadline. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (S) Passed by indefinitely in Privileges and Elections (8-Y 6-N) | 02/14/23 |
| notes: Requires general registrars to cancel the voter registration of persons known by him to be deceased or disqualified to vote within seven days of discovering that the person is no longer entitled to be registered. Current law directs registrars to cancel a voter's registration for certain reasons and on the basis of certain information; the bill retains those requirements. | |||
| HB 1444 - Ware - Elections; voter identification containing a photograph required, availability of absentee voting. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (S) Passed by indefinitely in Privileges and Elections (9-Y 6-N) | 02/14/23 |
| notes: Requires presentation of a form of identification containing a photograph in order to vote. A voter who does not show an accepted form of identification is entitled to cast a provisional ballot. The bill limits the period that absentee voting in person is available to the seven days prior to an election and allows localities to offer extended hours for absentee voting in person. Additionally, the bill repeals the provision that allows an absentee ballot that is returned after the close of polls to be counted if it is postmarked by election day and arrives by the Friday after the election. The bill makes changes to the processing of returned absentee ballots and repeals the permanent absentee voter list. | |||
| HB 1467 - Wyatt - Elections; voter identification containing photograph required, availability of absentee voting. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Requires presentation of a form of identification containing a photograph in order to vote and provides that a voter who does not have one of the required forms of identification is entitled to cast a provisional ballot. The bill repeals a provision that would permit any person who is qualified to register to vote to do so in person up to and including the day of the election and limits the persons who are entitled to register to vote after the close of registration records to members of a uniformed service on active duty, persons who are residing temporarily outside of the United States, and their spouses and dependents. The bill limits the period during which absentee voting in person is available from 45 days preceding the date of the election to the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday immediately preceding the date of the election. The bill requires that absentee ballots returned by mail be returned to the office of the general registrar by the close of polls on election day and be postmarked on or before the Saturday preceding the date of the election. The bill eliminates the use of drop-off locations for the return of absentee ballots. The bill requires absentee ballot applications to contain the last four digits of the applicant's social security number and provides that the failure of an absentee ballot to include a witness signature is a material omission, rendering the ballot void. | |||
| HB 1518 - Adams, D.M. - General Assembly; annual verification of member's legal residence within electoral district. | (H) Committee on Rules | (H) Left in Rules | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Requires each member of the General Assembly to annually submit a certification of his legal residence to the clerk of the house in which he serves, signed by the member under penalty of perjury to be true and correct. The bill requires the clerk of each house to verify that the address provided on the certification is within the district that the member was most recently elected to represent. Any member who is found to not be a resident of the district that he was most recently elected to represent shall, in accordance with Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution of Virginia, vacate his office. | |||
| HB 1529 - Convirs-Fowler - Candidates for office; political party nomination by non-primary method, filing fee. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Allows political parties to charge a filing fee for methods of nomination other than a primary and sets a cap on such fee. The maximum filing fee is set at two percent of the salary of any salaried office sought by a candidate or, for any office for which compensation is paid by fees, two percent of the average fees collected by the office. | |||
| HB 1530 - Convirs-Fowler - Special elections; extends deadline for parties to nominate by methods other than a primary. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Extends the period of time that parties have to nominate a candidate by a method other than a primary for a special election that is not held on the date of a general election from within five days to within 10 days of the writ ordering such special election. | |||
| HB 1551 - Helmer - Campaign advertisements; independent expenditures, electioneering communications, disclaimer. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Broadens the scope of disclaimer requirements for campaign advertisements to include electioneering communications, as defined in the bill, and messages advocating for the passage or defeat of a referendum. The bill also requires an advertisement that is an independent expenditure or that expressly advocates for the passage or defeat of a referendum to contain a disclaimer providing the names of the advertisement sponsor's three largest contributors. | |||
| HB 1552 - Simon - Campaign finance; prohibited personal use of campaign funds, complaints, hearings, civil penalty. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Prohibits any person from converting contributions to a candidate or his campaign committee for personal use. Current law only prohibits such conversion of contributions with regard to disbursement of surplus funds at the dissolution of a campaign or political committee. The bill provides that a contribution is considered to have been converted to personal use if the contribution, in whole or in part, is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expense that would exist irrespective of the person's seeking, holding, or maintaining public office but allows a contribution to be used for the ordinary and accepted expenses related to campaigning for or holding elective office, including the use of campaign funds to pay for the candidate's child care expenses that are incurred as a direct result of campaign activity. The bill provides that any person subject to the personal use ban may request an advisory opinion from the State Board of Elections on such matters. The bill directs the State Board of Elections to adopt emergency regulations similar to those promulgated by the Federal Election Commission to implement the provisions of the bill and to provide an updated summary of Virginia campaign finance law that reflects the State Board of Elections' and Attorney General's guidance on the provisions of such law that prohibit the personal use of campaign funds and any new regulations promulgated by the State Board of Elections. | |||
| HB 1648 - Anderson - Political contributions; prohibited from foreign-influenced corporations, required reports. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Prohibits foreign-influenced corporations, as defined in the bill, from making independent expenditures or making contributions to a candidate, campaign committee, political committee, or political party committee. The bill provides that any such corporation violating the prohibition is subject to a fine of not more than $50,000 and that any officer, director, or agent of any such corporation involved in such violation is subject to a fine of not more than $10,000, imprisonment for not more than one year, or both. The bill also requires that any corporation, as defined in the bill, that makes an independent expenditure or makes a contribution to a candidate, campaign committee, political committee, or political party committee must certify with the Department of Elections that, after due inquiry, the corporation was not a foreign-influenced corporation on the date such expenditure or contribution was made. | |||
| HB 1683 - Ransone - Voter registration; final day of registration, notice requirements. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0535) | 03/26/23 |
| notes: Provides general registrars with the option to post notice of the final day of voter registration on the official website of the county or city or to publish the notice at least once in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or city. | |||
| HB 1693 - McGuire - Absentee voting; return of absentee ballots, drop-off locations. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (S) Passed by indefinitely in Privileges and Elections (9-Y 6-N) | 02/14/23 |
| notes: Repeals the provisions of the Code providing for the establishment of drop-off locations for the return of absentee ballots. | |||
| HB 1751 - Davis - Elections; ranked choice voting, local governing bodies, school boards, & primaries for any office. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Allows ranked choice voting to be used in any state-run primary election at the option of the political party for which the primary is being held and changes from discretionary to mandatory the provision that the State Board of Elections promulgate regulations for the proper and efficient administration of elections determined by ranked choice voting. The bill also allows elections of members of a local governing body or school board to be conducted by ranked choice voting. Current law only allows elections of members of a county board of supervisors or city council to be conducted by ranked choice voting. | |||
| HB 1793 - Ransone - Voter registration through the Department of Motor Vehicles; optional transmission of information. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (S) Passed by indefinitely in Privileges and Elections (9-Y 6-N) | 02/14/23 |
| notes: Provides that customers of the Department of Motor Vehicles shall be presented with the option to have their relevant information transmitted to the Department of Elections for voter registration purposes in accordance with federal law. Currently, this information is transmitted unless the DMV customer specifically declines to have such information transmitted. | |||
| HB 1796 - Simonds - Officers of election; eligibility of persons preregistered to vote. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Allows any person who has preregistered to vote to serve as an officer of election. | |||
| HB 1812 - March - Foreign interference in elections; registration, absentee voting, and conduct of elections. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Requires the Attorney General to provide assessments and reports on foreign interference, defined in the bill, in elections in the Commonwealth to the Governor and the General Assembly and to levy or recommend appropriate sanctions against any such foreign governments found to be interfering in elections in the Commonwealth. The bill also repeals the provision that allows persons 16 years of age or older to preregister to vote, removes the ability to register to vote using the websites of the Department of Elections or the Department of Motor Vehicles, and moves the deadline for registering to vote from 21 days prior to an election to 30 days prior to an election. In addition, the bill directs the Department of Elections to conduct list maintenance activities during the 30 days prior to any election in which a candidate for federal office is not on the ballot, including the removal of duplicate registrations, requires voters to provide an excuse in order to vote absentee, removes the option to vote absentee in person, reinstates provisions requiring the presentation of a valid form of photo identification in order to vote, and directs general registrars to provide a paper copy of the pollbook at each polling place during all elections. Finally, the bill eliminates curbside voting and same-day voter registration, prohibits the use of any voting system that can be connected to the Internet and directs the State Board of Elections to decertify any such voting system, and increases from a Class 6 felony to a Class 4 felony the penalty for voter registration fraud. | |||
| HB 1826 - Cherry - Campaign finance; prohibited personal use of campaign funds, complaints, etc., civil penalty. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Prohibits any person from converting contributions to a candidate or his campaign committee for personal use. Current law only prohibits such conversion of contributions with regard to disbursement of surplus funds at the dissolution of a campaign or political committee. The bill provides that a contribution is considered to have been converted to personal use if the contribution, in whole or in part, is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expense that would exist irrespective of the person's seeking, holding, or maintaining public office but allows a contribution to be used for the ordinary and accepted expenses related to campaigning for or holding elective office, including the use of campaign funds to pay for the candidate's child care expenses that are incurred as a direct result of campaign activity. The bill provides that any person subject to the personal use ban may request an advisory opinion from the State Board of Elections on such matters. The bill directs the State Board of Elections to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill and to provide an updated summary of Virginia campaign finance law that reflects the State Board of Elections' and Attorney General's guidance on the provisions of such law that prohibit the personal use of campaign funds and any new regulations promulgated by the State Board of Elections. | |||
| HB 1847 - LaRock - Elections; registration, absentee, and conduct of election. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Restores the local option to hold May elections; repeals laws permitting registration on election day and requiring preregistration of certain persons under 18 years of age; eliminates the permanent absentee voter list; removes provisions allowing general registrars to contract with a third party for the printing, assembly, and mailing of absentee ballot packets; requires an excuse to vote absentee; reduces absentee voting in person to the 10 days prior to the date of an election; requires that mailed absentee ballots be returned by the United States Postal Service; repeals provisions allowing for absentee ballot drop boxes; requires absentee ballots to be received by the general registrar by the close of polls on election day in order to be counted; requires presentation of a form of identification containing a photograph in order to vote; repeals the provisions of law permitting a voter who does not have one of the required forms of identification to vote after signing a statement that he is the named registered voter he claims to be; and requires that provisional ballot envelopes have written on them certain required information in order to be considered, including the signature of the officer of election administering the provisional ballot and his indication of whether photo identification was shown, and if so, the type. The bill also amends provisions regarding risk-limiting audits to allow for (i) risk-limiting audits of the part of a district that covers multiple localities that lies in a single locality and (ii) the use of the batch comparison method when conducting a risk-limiting audit. | |||
| HB 1862 - Sullivan - President and Vice President; binding of electors, vacancies. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Provides that an elector who is selected by the state convention of any political party and who, at the convening of the electors after the election, refuses to present a ballot, presents an unmarked ballot, or presents a ballot marked in violation of his oath stating that he would, if elected, cast his ballot for the candidates for President and Vice President nominated by the party that selected the elector, or as the party may direct in the event of the death, withdrawal, or disqualification of the party nominee, is deemed to vacate the office of elector. The bill provides that the other electors present shall immediately fill such vacancy in the same manner as a vacancy due to an elector's death or failure or inability to attend. The bill applies the same provisions to electors who are named in a petition of qualified voters not constituting a political party. The bill contains technical amendments that consolidate into a single chapter the provisions of Title 24.2 relating to presidential electors. | |||
| HB 1877 - Scott, P.A. - Absentee voting; limits availability of absentee voting in person. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (S) Passed by indefinitely in Privileges and Elections (9-Y 6-N) | 02/14/23 |
| notes: Limits absentee voting in person to the two weeks immediately preceding an election. During these two weeks, the bill requires that absentee voting in person be available Monday through Saturday, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. each day. | |||
| HB 1910 - Batten - Absentee voting; unsolicited absentee ballot applications, required information, penalty. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (S) Passed by indefinitely in Privileges and Elections (9-Y 5-N) | 02/14/23 |
| notes: Requires any individual or organization sending an application for an absentee ballot to a registered voter that was not solicited or requested by the registered voter to include with the application instructions on completing the application and submitting it to the appropriate general registrar. The bill requires a statement that the application is not being sent by any state or local government official or agency to be printed on the envelope containing the application or on the first page of any enclosed materials. The bill specifies that individuals and organizations are required to use the information provided in the list of registered voters acquired by such individual or organization from the Department of Elections pursuant to relevant law and that a violation of this requirement is a Class 4 misdemeanor. The bill also requires the Department of Elections to ensure, when providing such list to such individual or organization for purposes of sending unsolicited applications, that no voter is included on such list if such voter has applied for an absentee ballot on or before the date such list is requested. Finally, the bill provides that no application for an absentee ballot sent to a registered voter that was not solicited or requested by the registered voter may be pre-populated with information that the applicant is required to provide. | |||
| HB 1947 - Bloxom - Absentee voting; annual absentee voter list. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (S) Passed by indefinitely in Privileges and Elections (9-Y 6-N) | 02/14/23 |
| notes: Eliminates the permanent absentee voter list and provides for an annual absentee voter list by which any eligible voter who annually files an application and is enrolled on the list receives an absentee ballot for any election in which he is eligible to vote in the ensuing calendar year. The application for the annual absentee voter list requires, at a minimum, the voter to provide his printed name, his date of birth, and the last four digits of his social security number. | |||
| HB 1948 - Bloxom - Absentee voting; removes witness requirement, required information on return ballot envelope. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0785) | 04/12/23 |
| notes: Removes the witness requirement for absentee ballots and replaces it with the requirement that the voter provide the last four digits of his social security number and his date of birth. | |||
| HB 2049 - Bennett-Parker - Polling place; assistance for certain voters, definition of disability. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Limits the entitlement of voters with disabilities to vote outside the polls to those whose disability prevents them from entering the polling place. Expands the definition of disability for purposes of providing assistance outside of a polling place to voters with disabilities to include any permanent or temporary disability. Under current law, the disability is limited to a permanent or temporary physical disability. | |||
| HB 2118 - Hudson - Local or constitutional office; elections allowed to be conducted by ranked choice voting. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Allows elections for any local or constitutional office to be conducted by ranked choice voting. Under current law, only elections of members of a county board of supervisors or a city council are allowed to be conducted by ranked choice voting. | |||
| HB 2212 - Tran - Elections, State Board of; duties, required election & voter participation information on Internet. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Requires the State Board of Elections to provide information for voters on its website, including (i) the role of and contact information for the State Board and local electoral boards; (ii) how and where to register to vote; (iii) how and where to vote, including information about absentee voting, polling hours, Virginia's voter identification requirements and acceptable forms of identification, the casting of ballots, and a means for voters to find their polling place; and (iv) any laws, regulations, policies, or forms pertaining to any of the information in (i), (ii), and (iii). The website must also allow a voter to review any information about himself that is kept in the statewide voter registration database. The bill also requires that (a) at a minimum, the State Board provide a version of its website in which all required parts are translated into any language that is spoken by a language minority group; (b) any page that is linked to a translated page shall also be translated; and (c) all translated portions of the website be reviewed for accuracy, with appropriate updates made prior to the start of early voting for every primary and general election held in Virginia. | |||
| HB 2234 - Wachsmann - Voter registration; registering in person up to and including the day of the election. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (S) Passed by indefinitely in Privileges and Elections (9-Y 6-N) | 02/14/23 |
| notes: Provides that only members of a uniformed service, as defined in relevant law, persons who are residing temporarily outside of the United States, and spouses or dependents of such members or persons are entitled to register to vote after the close of registration records in person up to and including the day of the election. Under current law, any person who is qualified to register to vote is entitled to register to vote after the close of registration records up to and including the day of the election. | |||
| HB 2242 - Simonds - Elections administration; requests made pursuant to Virginia Freedom of Information Act. | (H) Committee on General Laws | (H) Stricken from docket by General Laws (22-Y 0-N) | 02/02/23 |
| notes: Provides that the period within which a local electoral board or general registrar is required to respond to requests made pursuant to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act shall be tolled when such request is (i) received on or after the first day on which absentee voting in person is available for an election and before the tenth day following the certification of such election and (ii) related to a previously conducted election until the deadline to request a recount pursuant to law has passed and, if any recount is pending in the locality thereafter, until it has been concluded. | |||
| HB 2257 - Cordoza - Election of council for cities and towns; exemption from district-based and ward-based restrictions. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (S) Passed by indefinitely in Privileges and Elections (9-Y 6-N) | 02/14/23 |
| notes: Exempts any city or town with a population of 35,000 or fewer persons that imposes district-based or ward-based residency requirements for members of the city or town council from the requirement that the member elected from each district or ward be elected by the qualified voters of that district or ward and not by the locality at large. | |||
| HB 2266 - Ransone - Absentee ballot; SB to adopt policy regarding counting, etc., in a central absentee voter precinct. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Rules | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0152) | 03/22/23 |
| notes: Directs the State Board of Elections to adopt a policy regarding the counting and reporting of absentee ballots in a central absentee voter precinct in order to ensure that the results of absentee ballots cast early in person are reported separately from mailed absentee ballots and the results of all absentee ballots cast by voters are reported by precinct in accordance with law. Such policy is required to also ensure that all such results are posted on the State Board of Elections website no later than noon on the day after the election. The bill requires such policy to be adopted no later than September 1, 2023, and the Chairmen of the House and Senate Committees on Privileges and Elections to be notified of such policy within seven days of its adoption. | |||
| HB 2286 - VanValkenburg - Campaign finance; contribution limits, civil penalty. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Establishes contribution limits from any individual to any candidate campaign committee, political action committee, and political party committee and from any political action committee or political party committee to any campaign committee. The bill provides that any candidate, candidate campaign committee, political action committee, political party committee, or contributor that knowingly violates the contributions limits established by the bill is subject to a civil penalty of up to two times the amount by which the contribution exceeds the limit. The bill prohibits any person that is not an individual from making any contribution to any candidate for elected office. | |||
| HB 2289 - Williams - Elected and certain appointed officers; procedure for removal by courts. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0663) | 03/26/23 |
| notes: Sets out the procedure by which, and clarifies the reasons for which, an elected officer or officer who has been appointed to fill an elective office may be removed from office. The bill requires, among other things, that (i) the general registrar review the petition and determine its sufficiency in accordance with the uniform standards approved by the State Board of Elections; (ii) the general registrar certify the petition within 10 business days and promptly file such certification with the clerk of the circuit court; and (iii) the certification state the number of signatures required, the number of signatures on the petition, and the number of valid signatures, along with any signatures found to be invalid and any material omissions from the petition. The bill also provides that the Commonwealth and the elected officer shall be the only two parties to a removal proceeding. This bill is a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference. | |||
| HB 2301 - Bloxom - Presidential primaries; ranked choice voting. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Allows political parties to hold presidential primaries using ballots that allow a voter to rank such party's candidates in his order of choice. | |||
| HB 2308 - Glass - Electoral board to meet to ascertain results; permitted period of adjournment. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Permits local electoral boards, when meeting after an election to ascertain the results of such election, to adjourn as needed for a period not to exceed seven calendar days from the deadline for timely postmarked absentee ballots to be returned in order to be counted. Under current law, the local electoral boards are permitted to adjourn for a period not to exceed seven calendar days from the date of the election. The bill contains technical amendments for organizational purposes. | |||
| HB 2436 - Hudson - Primaries for federal, statewide, and General Assembly offices; ranked choice voting. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Permits political parties to hold primary elections for federal or statewide offices or offices in the General Assembly by ranked choice voting. The bill also allows elections for any local or constitutional office to be conducted by ranked choice voting. Under current law, only elections of members of a county board of supervisors or a city council are allowed to be conducted by ranked choice voting. The bill requires the State Board of Elections to promulgate regulations for the proper and efficient administration of all elections determined by ranked choice voting. | |||
| HB 2454 - Campbell - Voter registration; monthly list maintenance. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (S) Passed by indefinitely in Privileges and Elections (8-Y 6-N) | 02/14/23 |
| notes: Requires the Department of Elections to conduct and complete voter list maintenance monthly using change of address information supplied by the United States Postal Service, except that such list maintenance will not be conducted during the 90 days prior to a federal primary or general election. Following any federal general election, the Department shall, within 30 days of such election, conduct and complete the list maintenance for the period beginning 90 days prior to the federal primary election through the date of the federal general election. The bill requires the Department to transmit the change of address information to the general registrars monthly and to include with such information the date on which it was received by the Department. | |||
| HB 2471 - Batten - General registrars; petition for removal. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0256) | 03/22/23 |
| notes: Provides for the removal of a general registrar by the circuit court upon a petition signed by a majority of the members of the State Board of Elections or a majority of the members of the local electoral board. Currently, a local electoral board may remove a general registrar with a majority vote, while the State Board of Elections may petition the circuit court to remove a general registrar only after petitioning the local electoral board to remove the registrar and the electoral board fails to do so. The bill requires the Virginia Division of Risk Management to assign counsel to the defense of any member of a local electoral board or general registrar subject to a petition for removal, upon that member's or registrar's application. | |||
| HJ 458 - Anderson - Constitutional amendments; General Assembly and local elected officials, term limits (first refer.). | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Limits members of the Senate to three consecutive terms and members of the House of Delegates to six consecutive terms. The amendments provide that the limits apply to terms of service beginning on and after the start of the 2026 Regular Session of the General Assembly. The amendments also limit officials elected to any county, city, town, or constitutional office to three consecutive terms, except for persons elected to the office of the clerk of the court, who are limited to two consecutive terms. These limits apply to terms of service in county, city, town, and constitutional offices beginning on and after January 1, 2026. Both amendments provide that service for a partial term does not preclude serving the allowed number of full terms. | |||
| HJ 459 - Rasoul - Constitutional amendment; qualifications of voters,16-year-olds permitted to vote (first reference). | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Provides that, notwithstanding the requirement that a voter shall be 18 years of age, any person who is 16 years of age or older and is otherwise qualified to vote shall be permitted to register to vote and to vote in local elections. | |||
| HJ 547 - Sickles - Election governance structure in the Commonwealth; JLARC to review. | (H) Committee on Rules | (H) Left in Rules | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to conduct a two-year study on the election governance structure in the Commonwealth. In conducting its study, JLARC shall (i) review the roles and responsibilities of state and local election officials in the administration and conduct of elections in the Commonwealth, including the level of oversight by state election officials and the degree of decision-making by local election officials; (ii) review the methods of selection and removal of state and local election officials and evaluate how such methods shape accountability mechanisms; (iii) review the level of funding provided by the state and localities; (iv) evaluate the potential for partisan pressures and influence in administrative decisions at the state and local election level; (v) develop recommendations for objective methods of evaluating the performance of both local and state election officers to determine if they are appropriately fulfilling the responsibilities of their positions and whether removal may be necessary; and (vi) make other recommendations as necessary and review other issues as warranted. | |||
| SB 854 - Favola - Campaign advertisements; independent expenditures, electioneering communications. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/22/23 |
| notes: Broadens the scope of disclaimer requirements for campaign advertisements to include electioneering communications, as defined in the bill, and messages advocating for the passage or defeat of a referendum. The bill also requires an advertisement that is an independent expenditure or that expressly advocates for the passage or defeat of a referendum to contain a disclaimer providing the names of the advertisement sponsor's three largest contributors. | |||
| SB 884 - Chase - Elections; registration, absentee voting, and conduct of election. | (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (S) Passed by indefinitely in Privileges and Elections (9-Y 5-N) | 01/31/23 |
| notes: Repeals provisions of law permitting registration on election day; requires an excuse to vote absentee; removes the option to vote absentee in person; requires absentee ballots to either be accompanied by a copy of an approved form of identification or be notarized; requires absentee ballots returned to drop boxes to be returned by the voter; requires absentee ballots to be received by the general registrar by the close of polls on election day in order to be counted; requires presentation of a form of identification containing a photograph in order to vote; repeals the provisions of law permitting a voter who does not have one of the required forms of identification to vote after signing a statement that he is the named registered voter he claims to be; eliminates the use of electronic poll books and voting machines while polls are open; and requires that ballots be manually tabulated in order to determine the results of an election. | |||
| SB 900 - McDougle - Voter identification; identification containing a photograph required. | (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (S) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/08/23 |
| notes: Requires presentation of a form of identification containing a photograph in order to vote. The bill repeals the provisions of law permitting a voter who does not have one of the required forms of identification to vote after signing a statement, subject to felony penalties for false statements, that he is the named registered voter he claims to be. Instead, the bill provides that such voter is entitled to cast a provisional ballot. | |||
| SB 907 - Spruill - Elections; protection of election officials, penalty. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Finance and Appropriations | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/22/23 |
| notes: Adds to the list of protected voters any election official or employee of an election official. Protected voters are permitted by law to provide on the application for voter registration, in addition to the voter's residence street address, a post office box address located within the Commonwealth, which would be the address included on (i) lists of registered voters and persons who voted, (ii) voter registration records made available for public inspection, and (iii) lists of absentee voter applicants. The bill also makes it a Class 5 felony to hinder or prevent an election official or employee of an election official from administering elections. Under current law it is only a Class 5 felony to hinder or prevent an officer of election at a location being used for voting from holding an election. | |||
| SB 944 - Suetterlein - Elections; filling vacancies in Gen. Assembly, certain vacancies to be filled between 30/45 days. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0306) | 03/23/23 |
| notes: Requires the writ of election to fill a vacancy in the membership of the General Assembly (i) to be issued within 30 days of the vacancy or receipt of notification of the vacancy, whichever comes first, and (ii) if the vacancy occurs or will occur between December 10 and March 1, to order that the special election take place no more than 30 days from the date of such vacancy. | |||
| SB 946 - Suetterlein - Campaign finance; fundraising during special sessions prohibited. | (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (S) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/08/23 |
| notes: Prohibits campaign fundraising on any day the General Assembly is scheduled to meet during a special session. Currently, campaign fundraising is prohibited only during regular sessions of the General Assembly. | |||
| SB 947 - Suetterlein - Candidates for office; political party nomination by non-primary method, filing fee. | (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (S) Passed by indefinitely in Privileges and Elections (9-Y 6-N) | 01/24/23 |
| notes: Allows political parties to charge a filing fee for methods of nomination other than a primary and sets a cap on such fee. The maximum filing fee is set at four percent of the salary of any salaried office sought by a candidate or, for any office for which compensation is paid by fees, four percent of the average fees collected by the office. | |||
| SB 1053 - McPike - Campaign finance; mandatory electronic filing for all candidates. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/22/23 |
| notes: Requires all candidates to file their campaign finance reports electronically with the State Board of Elections. The bill provides an exemption for any candidate who is incapable of accessing the technology necessary to make such filings. | |||
| SB 1180 - Ebbin - Elections administration; acceptance of certain services permitted. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/22/23 |
| notes: Provides that (i) the acceptance of technical assistance, research, or subject matter expertise regarding election law, policies, and administration by any state or local elections officials and (ii) the acceptance or use of money or grants given by a private individual or nongovernmental entity when such money or grant is received and disbursed by the treasurer for the locality or provided through the regular process for appropriating public funds are not prohibited under the general prohibition on the solicitation or acceptance by such officials of money, grants, property, or services given by a private individual or nongovernmental entity for the purpose of funding voting-related programs. | |||
| SB 1251 - Marsden - Elections; results to be delivered by officers representing both major parties on election night. | (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (S) Passed by indefinitely in Privileges and Elections with letter (14-Y 1-N) | 01/24/23 |
| notes: Requires ballots, election materials, and equipment keys to be returned to the clerk of the circuit court or the general registrar on the night of the election by one officer of election representing each political party. Under current law, a single officer of election may return ballots, election materials, and equipment keys to the clerk of the circuit court or general registrar and such items may be returned on the day following the election unless the local electoral board requires they be returned on the night of the election. | |||
| SB 1328 - McClellan - Removal of officers; elected officers and officers appointed to elected office. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/22/23 |
| notes: Provides for the removal of elected officers and officers appointed to elected offices, other than those whose removal is specifically provided for in the Constitution of Virginia, through a recall election. The bill provides that an officer is subject to a recall election only after both (i) an application for recall election petition with the required number of official sponsors has been filed with and found to be legally sufficient by the general registrar and (ii) a recall election petition with the required number of voter signatures has been filed with and found to be legally sufficient by the general registrar. The bill requires more than 50 percent of the votes cast in a recall election to be affirmative for recall and removal in order for the officer to be removed and the office to be vacated. | |||
| SB 1380 - Deeds - Presidential primaries; ranked choice voting. | (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (S) Passed by indefinitely in Privileges and Elections with letter (14-Y 0-N) | 01/31/23 |
| notes: Allows political parties to hold presidential primaries using ballots that allow a voter to rank such party's candidates in his order of choice. | |||
| SB 1431 - Surovell - Elected and certain appointed officers; procedure for removal by courts. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0664) | 03/26/23 |
| notes: Sets out the procedure by which, and clarifies the reasons for which, an elected officer or officer who has been appointed to fill an elective office may be removed from office. The bill requires, among other things, that (i) the general registrar review the petition and determine its sufficiency in accordance with the uniform standards approved by the State Board of Elections; (ii) the general registrar certify the petition within 10 business days and promptly file such certification with the clerk of the circuit court; and (iii) the certification state the number of signatures required, the number of signatures on the petition, and the number of valid signatures, along with any signatures found to be invalid and any material omissions from the petition. The bill also provides that the Commonwealth and the elected officer shall be the only two parties to a removal proceeding. This bill is a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference. | |||
| SB 1471 - Boysko - Campaign finance; prohibited personal use of campaign funds, complaints, hearings, civil penalty. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Finance and Appropriations | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 02/22/23 |
| notes: Prohibits any person from converting contributions to a candidate or his campaign committee for personal use. Current law only prohibits such conversion of contributions with regard to disbursement of surplus funds at the dissolution of a campaign or political committee. The bill provides that a contribution is considered to have been converted to personal use if the contribution, in whole or in part, is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expense that would exist irrespective of the person's seeking, holding, or maintaining public office but allows a contribution to be used for the ordinary and accepted expenses related to campaigning for or holding elective office, including the use of campaign funds to pay for the candidate's child care expenses that are incurred as a direct result of campaign activity. The bill provides that any person subject to the personal use ban may request an advisory opinion from the State Board of Elections on such matters. The bill directs the State Board of Elections to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill and to provide an updated summary of Virginia campaign finance law that reflects the State Board of Elections' and Attorney General's guidance on the provisions of such law that prohibit the personal use of campaign funds and any new regulations promulgated by the State Board of Elections. | |||
| SB 1514 - Mason - General registrars; petition for removal. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0257) | 03/22/23 |
| notes: Provides for the removal of a general registrar by the circuit court upon a petition signed by a majority of the members of the State Board of Elections or a majority of the members of the local electoral board. Currently, a local electoral board may remove a general registrar with a majority vote, while the State Board of Elections may petition the circuit court to remove a general registrar only after petitioning the local electoral board to remove the registrar and the electoral board fails to do so. The bill requires the Virginia Division of Risk Management to assign counsel to the defense of any member of a local electoral board or general registrar subject to a petition for removal, upon that member's or registrar's application. | |||
| SB 1516 - Stanley - Elections; general provisions and administration, guidance to local election officials. | (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (S) Passed by indefinitely in Privileges and Elections (9-Y 5-N) | 01/31/23 |
| notes: Provides that any election official who receives guidance pertaining to voter registration or the administration of elections from any instrument of the federal government, any civil society group, or any other third party that is not an agent of the Commonwealth shall immediately report such receipt to the Department of Elections and that no election official may implement such guidance without written authorization by the Department. | |||
| SB 1524 - Rouse - Virginia Beach, City of; amending charter, vacancies in office of council member and mayor. | (H) Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns (S) Committee on Local Government | (H) Left in Counties, Cities and Towns | 02/22/23 |
| notes: Eliminates the option for a circuit court to appoint persons to temporarily fill vacancies on a local governing body or elected school board in instances where the governing body fails to do so. The bill also clarifies that in instances where the circuit court is required to make such appointments due to vacancies in a majority of positions on the local governing body or elected school board, those appointed shall hold office only until the vacancies are filled by special election. | |||
| SJ 223 - Locke - Constitutional amendment; qualifications of voters and the right to vote (first reference). | (H) Committee on Rules (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Rules | 02/22/23 |
| notes: Provides that every person who meets the qualifications of voters set forth in the Constitution of Virginia 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 of Virginia provides that a person who has been adjudicated to be mentally incompetent is not qualified to vote until his competency is reestablished. | |||
| SJ 224 - Chase - Constitutional amendment; General Assembly, term limits (first reference). | (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (S) Passed by indefinitely in Privileges and Elections (10-Y 0-N 3-A) | 01/31/23 |
| notes: Limits members of the Senate to three full terms (12 years) and members of the House of Delegates to six full terms (12 years). The limitations apply to service for both consecutive and nonconsecutive terms. Service for a partial term does not preclude serving the allowed number of full terms. The limits apply to terms of service beginning on and after the start of the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly. | |||