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 SB 176.
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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 (HB630)
- 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 (HB630ER)Major
- Mar 30EnrolledMinor
- Mar 10Passed Senate (21-Y 19-N 0-A)Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Passage R. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 10Read third timeMinor
- Mar 9Passed by for the day
- Mar 6Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- Mar 5Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- Vote recorded Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading). Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 5Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
- Mar 5Rules suspended
- Mar 3Reported from Privileges and Elections (8-Y 7-N)Minor
- Vote recorded Reported from Privileges and Elections. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 18Referred to Committee on Privileges and ElectionsMinor
- Feb 18Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- Feb 17Read third time and passed House (62-Y 34-N 0-A)Passed House
- Vote recorded H VOTE:. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 16Read second time and engrossedMinor
- Feb 15Read first timeMinor
- Feb 13Reported from Privileges and Elections (15-Y 6-N)Minor
- Vote recorded Reported from Privileges and Elections. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 9Subcommittee recommends reporting (5-Y 2-N)
- Vote recorded Subcommittee recommends reporting. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 6Assigned HPE sub: Election AdministrationMinor
- Jan 26Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB630)
- Jan 13Referred to Committee on Privileges and ElectionsMinor
- Jan 13Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105115DIntroduced