VirginiaVoter registration; list maintenance activities, cancellation procedures, required record matches.
What it does
Voter registration; list maintenance activities, cancellation procedures, required record matches. Requires certain, specified identification information to be included on the lists received by the Department of Elections (the Department) for list maintenance purposes and requires the Department, upon receiving any such list, to do an initial comparison of the information included on such list with the list of registered voters and to determine the confidence score for any match. The Department is required to transmit matches with a confidence score of at least 80 to the appropriate general registrars.
More detail
The bill prohibits the use of voter data received from another state or jurisdiction or through a list comparison for list maintenance purposes when the data file does not include a unique identifier for each individual whose information is contained in the data file. The bill requires the Department to annually review all sources of data utilized for list maintenance activities for the purpose of determining the validity, completeness, accuracy, and reliability of the data received from each source, and to include the results of such review in its annual report to the House and Senate Committees on Privileges and Elections regarding its list maintenance activities. The bill provides that the Department of Elections may only use the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements Program (SAVE Program) operated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for the sole purpose of individually verifying that voters listed in the Virginia voter registration system are United States citizens. The Department of Elections is prohibited from (i) using information received from the SAVE Program as the sole reason for rejecting a registration application, (ii) uploading lists of registered voters to the SAVE Program for verifying their citizenship status in bulk, or (iii) transferring any information to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or any subdivision thereof beyond the minimum information necessary. The bill requires the general registrars to send notice prior to cancelling a voter's registration regardless of the reason for cancellation. Lastly, the bill clarifies that when a voter's registration is cancelled, a cancellation record must be created, and that such records are public in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and the National Voter Registration Act. The bill includes numerous technical amendments for organizational purposes. Certain provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill incorporates HB 966.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Apr 11Governor's recommendation received by HouseLatest
- Apr 6Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB972)
- Mar 31Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026To Governor
- Mar 31Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026Minor
- Mar 31Signed by SpeakerMajor
- Mar 30Signed by PresidentMajor
- Mar 30Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB972ER)Major
- Mar 30EnrolledMinor
- Mar 11Senate amendments agreed to by House (64-Y 34-N 0-A)Major
- Vote recorded H VOTE:. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 10Passed Senate with amendments (21-Y 19-N 0-A)Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Passage R. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 10Engrossed by Senate as amended
- Mar 10Privileges and Elections Amendments agreed toMajor
- Mar 10Read third timeMinor
- Mar 9Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- Vote recorded Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading). Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 9Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- Mar 9Rules suspended
- Mar 6Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N)Minor
- Vote recorded Reported from Finance and Appropriations. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 3Reported from Privileges and Elections with amendments and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 7-N)Minor
- Vote recorded Reported from Privileges and Elections with amendments. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 3Senate committee offered
- Feb 18Referred to Committee on Privileges and ElectionsMinor
- Feb 18Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- Feb 17Read third time and passed House (62-Y 35-N 0-A)Passed House
- Vote recorded H VOTE:. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 16Engrossed by House - committee substituteMajor
- Feb 16committee substitute agreed toMajor
- Feb 16Read second timeMinor
- Feb 15Read first timeMinor
- Feb 13Committee substitute printed 26107629D-H1Major
- Vote recorded Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 13Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute (14-Y 7-N)Minor
- Feb 13Incorporates HB966 (Price)
- Feb 12House committee offered
- Feb 10House subcommittee offered
- Feb 9Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (6-Y 2-N)Major
- Vote recorded Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 9Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB972)
- Feb 6Assigned HPE sub: Election AdministrationMinor
- Jan 13Referred to Committee on Privileges and ElectionsMinor
- Jan 13Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101433DIntroduced