VirginiaElections; ranked choice voting, locally elected offices, report.
What it does
Elections; conduct of election; ranked choice voting; locally elected offices; report. Expands the option to use ranked choice voting from only elections for county board of supervisors and city councils to any local governing body. The bill requires the State Board of Elections to provide standards and to approve vote tabulating software for use with existing voting systems in elections conducted by ranked choice voting.
More detail
The bill provides for copying damaged or defective ballots that cannot be properly counted by electronic voting systems. The bill allows localities to request risk-limiting audits of elections conducted using ranked choice voting and provides that no such election may be included in any random drawing required to satisfy the general requirements for risk-limiting audits. The bill specifies that the State Board is required to produce generalized voter education materials on ranked choice voting and is also permitted to create and modify recount procedures to the extent necessary to accommodate a recount of an election. The bill directs the Department of Elections to review the testing and approval framework for voting equipment in the Commonwealth and submit a report of such review no later than the first day of the 2027 Regular Session of the General Assembly. Finally, the bill repeals the 2031 expiration of the option to use ranked choice voting in elections, making such option permanent. This bill is identical to HB 630.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Apr 11Governor's recommendation received by SenateLatest
- Mar 10Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026To Governor
- Mar 10Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026Minor
- Feb 27Signed by PresidentMajor
- Feb 27Signed by SpeakerMajor
- Feb 27Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB176)
- Feb 27Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB176ER)Major
- Feb 27EnrolledMinor
- Feb 25Passed House (64-Y 34-N 0-A)Passed House
- Vote recorded H VOTE:. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 25Read third timeMinor
- Feb 24Read second timeMinor
- Feb 20Reported from Privileges and Elections (15-Y 6-N)Minor
- Vote recorded Reported from Privileges and Elections. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 5Referred to Committee on Privileges and ElectionsMinor
- Feb 5Read first timeMinor
- Feb 5Placed on Calendar
- Feb 2Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 19-N 0-A)Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Passage R. Result: pass.Upper
- Jan 30Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote)
- Jan 30Read second timeMinor
- Jan 30Read second timeMinor
- Jan 29Passed by for the day
- Vote recorded Constitutional reading dispensed R. Result: pass.Upper
- Jan 29Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)
- Jan 29Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- Jan 29Rules suspended
- Jan 27Reported from Privileges and Elections (8-Y 5-N 1-A)Minor
- Vote recorded Reported from Privileges and Elections. Result: pass.Upper
- Jan 26Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB176)
- Jan 8Referred to Committee on Privileges and ElectionsMinor
- Jan 8Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104635DIntroduced