VirginiaVoter registration; restoration of political rights upon release from incarceration.
What it does
Voter registration; restoration of political rights upon release from incarceration; certain adjudications. Provides that any person who loses his political rights as a result of a felony conviction shall be invested with those rights upon his release from incarceration and shall be entitled to register to vote. The bill directs the Department of Corrections and the State Board of Local and Regional Jails to transmit to the Department of Elections certain information for incarcerated persons with a pending date of release and requires the Department of Elections to process the information and make the necessary changes to the voter registration system to permit such persons to register to vote by the date of the person's scheduled date of release.
More detail
On the date of an incarcerated person's release, the appropriate authority is required by the bill to provide a voter registration application, information on returning the form by mail or completing it by electronic means, and an official release document to serve as a safety net for voter registration. The bill also amends the language regarding adjudications of mental incompetency for purposes of being qualified to vote; a person adjudicated to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting shall not be entitled to vote until that capacity has been reestablished. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027, contingent upon the approval of the constitutional amendments at the November 3, 2026, general election. This bill is identical to SB 162.
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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
- Mar 16Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB964)
- Mar 14Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026To Governor
- Mar 14Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026Minor
- Mar 13Signed by PresidentMajor
- Mar 13Signed by SpeakerMajor
- Mar 13Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB964ER)Major
- Mar 13EnrolledMinor
- Mar 6Senate substitute agreed to by House (63-Y 33-N 0-A)Major
- Vote recorded H VOTE:. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 4Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 18-N 0-A)Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Passage R. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 4Engrossed by Senate - committee substituteMajor
- Mar 4Privileges and Elections Substitute agreed to
- Mar 4Read third timeMinor
- Mar 3Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)
- Vote recorded Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading). Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded Reported from Finance and Appropriations. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 3Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- Mar 3Rules suspended
- Mar 3Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N)Minor
- Mar 2Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB964)
- Feb 24Committee substitute printed 26108576D-S1Major
- Vote recorded Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 24Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 7-N)Minor
- Feb 24Senate committee offered
- Feb 20Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB964)
- Feb 13Referred to Committee on Privileges and ElectionsMinor
- Feb 13Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- Feb 12Read third time and passed House (63-Y 34-N 0-A)Passed House
- Vote recorded H VOTE:. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 11Engrossed by House as amended
- Feb 11committee amendment agreed toMajor
- Feb 11Read second timeMinor
- Feb 10Read first timeMinor
- Feb 6Reported from Privileges and Elections with amendment(s) (16-Y 6-N)Minor
- Vote recorded Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s). Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Reported from Privileges and Elections with amendment(s). Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 6House committee offered
- Feb 6Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (6-Y 2-N)
- Feb 6House subcommittee offered
- Feb 3Assigned HPE sub: Voting RightsMinor
- Feb 2Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB964)
- Jan 13Referred to Committee on Privileges and ElectionsMinor
- Jan 13Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100136DIntroduced